Throughout the history of cinema, filmmakers have constantly pushed the boundaries of special effects. From early techniques like using puppets to create dramatic scenes to more advanced methods involving animation and computer graphics, the evolution of visual effects has been remarkable.
In the past, creating high-quality computer graphics for films was a time-consuming and expensive process. However, with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), this has changed. AIs like DALL.E, Midjourney, and Firefly have demonstrated the ability to generate stunning visuals from text descriptions almost instantly.
These AI-powered tools not only make it easier to edit images and footage but also offer the potential to create fully computer-generated movies without the need for physical actors. While there has been some resistance from screenwriters and actors, the rapid advancements in AI technology are reshaping the film industry.
Despite some concerns about copyright and the originality of AI-generated content, it is clear that AI is revolutionizing the creation of special effects in movies. While the long-term impact of AI on the film industry remains uncertain, it is certain that visual effects are becoming more accessible and affordable thanks to AI.
Ultimately, AI can be a powerful tool in post-production and help filmmakers focus on storytelling and performance rather than just visual effects. The future of filmmaking may be different, but with the right approach, AI can enhance the creative process and lead to more memorable films.
This article is a response to a question sent via email by Hilda Patterson: “To what extent will AI change the film industry?”
If you have any questions, please send them to the email address below.For further information, please contact:or send us a messageFacebook,XorInstagramPage (be sure to include your name and location).
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pictureRon Musk has long been interested in right-wing politics and has enjoyed portraying himself as a contrarian showman. However, his recent political affiliations have raised doubts about Tesla, the electric-car giant he founded. How much further can he push before customers start abandoning his product?
A German pharmacy chain, Rothmann, was among the first to speak out this week. The family business announced that it would not expand its fleet of 34 Tesla cars after Musk publicly supported Donald Trump for US president.
Rothmann’s spokesperson, Raul Rothman, wrote, “Mr. Trump has consistently denied climate change, which contradicts Tesla’s mission to protect the environment by producing electric vehicles.”
Musk’s support for Trump was followed by controversial posts about far-right riots in the UK. He made remarks like “Civil war is inevitable,” which sparked criticism from politicians across the spectrum. Musk engaged with far-right figures, raising concerns among some consumers.
Some Tesla owners are now reevaluating their choice of vehicle due to Musk’s recent behavior.
Given the divisive nature of Mr. Musk’s comments and his apparent enjoyment of creating discord, we have decided to discontinue our relationship with Tesla.”
Tesla has been reached out to for comment.
In online forums, Tesla owners debate the impact of Musk’s politics on the brand. Some have created bumper stickers like “I bought this before I knew Elon was crazy.”
David Bach, a strategy and political economy professor at IMD, noted that Musk’s recent behavior sets him apart from other CEOs. Musk’s actions have garnered mixed reactions, especially in the UK.
Tesla’s sales in the UK account for a small portion of its global business. Musk’s involvement in US politics, particularly with Trump, could have significant repercussions for Tesla.
Despite Musk’s polarizing comments, some consumers still support Tesla. However, there are concerns about the potential impact on business.
Musk’s actions have already affected X and could impact SpaceX as well. Some industry insiders believe that Musk’s current path could eventually lead to a decline in Tesla’s sales.
IIn the vast white desert of Salinas Grandes, 45-year-old Antonio Carpanchay raises an axe and chips away at the earth. He has worked the land since he was 12, splitting and collecting salt, replenishing it for the next season and teaching his children to do the same.
“Our whole indigenous community works here, even the elders,” he says, shielding his sunburned face from the sun. “We’ve always done it. It’s our livelihood.”
As his son watches warily, Karpanchai points north, to a pile of black stones and mud that stands out from the stark whiteness of the plains. “They started mining for lithium in 2010,” he says. “We made them stop because they were destroying the environment and affecting the water quality. But now they’re coming back, and I’m scared. We could lose everything we have.”
Antonio Carpanchay and his son mine and sell salt in Salinas Grandes, Argentina.
The Salinas Grandes are the largest salt flats in Argentina, stretching over 200 miles and containing a biodiverse ecosystem. Sitting in the Lithium Triangle The same goes for parts of Chile and Bolivia.
Lithium is a silvery metal known as platinum and is a vital element in batteries for mobile phones and electric cars. By 2040, global demand is predicted to increase more than 40-fold. But that exploitation has also raised moral debates, pitting the transition to green energy against the rights of local and indigenous peoples.
The sign reads “No to Lithium.”
Thirty-three indigenous communities in the Atacama and Cola regions, fearful of losing or polluting their water resources and being forced off their lands, have banded together for 14 years to try to halt the mining operations. “Please respect our territory” and “No to lithium” are scrawled on dozens of road signs, abandoned buildings, and murals.
But now, with more than 30 global mining conglomerates moving into the region at the instigation of “anarcho-capitalist” President Javier Milley, the battle lines are being redrawn. Offers of jobs and investment are increasingly dividing communities, with some already reneging on agreements and more expected to follow.
“Businesses are moving in,” Karpanchai said. “I worry about my grandchildren’s future.”
TThe biggest concern for indigenous peoples is water. Approximately 2 million liters of evaporation is required per tonne of lithium. This threatens to dry up the region’s wetlands and already dry rivers and lakes. Industrial-scale pumping also threatens to contaminate fresh groundwater, endangering livestock and small-scale agriculture. The impacts will likely reach farther than the immediate source of the water: as locals say, “water knows no borders.”
Clemente Flores, a 59-year-old community leader, says water is the most important part of Pachamama, which means “Mother Earth.” “Water nourishes the air, the soil, the pastures for the animals and the food we eat,” he argues.
“If we used all the water for mining, the salt flats would dry up. We need water to grow salt. Without salt, there are no jobs,” said Karpanchai, who relies on the freshwater resources to raise llamas and sheep. “Chemicals from mining could pollute the water and pastures. We could lose everything.”
Flavia Lamas, 30, a tour guide on the salt flats, remembers when lithium companies began exploring around 2010. “They said mining lithium would not affect Mother Earth, but then water became a problem. Water was running off the salt flats and after just one month our land started to degrade,” she says.
Flavia Lamas, who guides tourists through the Salinas Grandes salt flats, compares the mining companies to the Spanish colonial army of the 1500s.
According to Pia Marchegiani, director of environmental policy at the NGO: Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (Fern) Environmental assessments leave gaps in understanding the full impact of large-scale development. “This region is a watershed. Water comes from everywhere, but nobody is looking at the whole picture,” Marchegiani says. “You have Australians, Americans, Europeans, Chinese, Koreans, but nobody is adding up their water use.”
Wildlife within the ecosystem may also be affected. A 2022 study found that flamingosLithium mining in Chile is slowly killing off coral reefs that feed on microorganisms in seawater.
Communities also fear their land will disappear. Indigenous people consider the land sacred and ancestral, and have lived on it for centuries, but they worry they will be forcibly removed. “We can’t sacrifice our community land. Do you think that’s going to save the planet? Instead, we’re destroying Mother Earth herself,” Flores says.
A painting welcoming visitors to the village of El Moreno features an anti-lithium message.
youUntil recently, the 33 communities fought together as one, but over the past year, cracks have appeared as mining companies have offered economic incentives. “Companies are approaching,” Karpanchai said. “They approach us alone, they come in disguise. People are feeling the pressure.”
Lamas says mining companies are descending on the region like conquistadors in the 1500s. “The Spanish brought mirrors as gifts. Now the miners come by truck,” she says. “We’ve been offered gifts, trucks, and houses in the city, but we don’t want to live there.”
Marchegiani accuses the companies of deploying “divide and conquer” tactics. Alicia Chalabet, an indigenous lawyer from Salinas Grandes, says the community is under “constant pressure” to agree to the demands. “We’re flooded with lithium companies here. It’s increased a lot in the last five years,” said Chalabet, who is currently handling 20 cases. “The community is just an obstacle.”
The community of Lipan was the first to agree to let mining company Rishon Energy explore the waters beneath the saltwater in exchange for promises of jobs and essential services, but some residents say the decision was controversial, and some community members claim not all residents were allowed to vote.
A facility set up by Rishon Energy to explore lithium potential near the village of Lipan. The company claims to employ staff from the local area and invest in their training.
Rishon denies that its decision to mine in Lipan was controversial and says it complied with all regulations that require it to seek local community support in lithium exploration. The company has previously told reporters that it has invested in 15 secondary school and 15 university scholarships, provided computers to local schools, and hired 12 workers from Lipan.
Anastasia Castillo, 38, grew up in Lipan and now lives in a nearby commune. She says neither she nor her parents, who remain in the village, agreed. “I’m very sad. My children’s future is ruined. We have 100 cows and 80 llamas in the area, which is my main job. I’m afraid they’ll die,” Castillo said. “Now we’re separated.”
McDonald’s has terminated its trial of an artificial intelligence chatbot in its drive-thrus, sparking concerns about the fast-food industry’s hasty adoption of this technology.
The largest burger chain in the world is removing its AI-based automated ordering system from over 100 restaurants throughout the US.
This system, capable of responding to customer orders using AI voice, was undergoing testing under a contract between McDonald’s and IBM that began in 2021.
McDonald’s has not specified the reasons for ending the trial. As reported by Restaurant Business, the company informed franchisees that the technology would be discontinued on July 26th.
A McDonald’s spokesperson mentioned to the publication that a decision regarding automated ordering plans would be made by year-end, emphasizing that “voice ordering solutions at the drive-thru are part of our restaurants’ future.”
Fast-food chains have displayed considerable interest in incorporating generative AI into their operations in recent years. Apart from McDonald’s, various companies such as Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., and Del Taco have implemented this technology in their drive-thrus. Yum! Brands, the owner of Taco Bell and KFC, also declared its adoption of AI earlier this year. “AI First Mindset” at a fast food restaurant.
The fast-food industry is increasingly receptive to AI as a substitute for human workers, aiding in reducing escalating labor costs. Following California’s enactment of a new minimum wage regulation for fast-food employees, companies are hastening the integration of AI technology to handle tasks like taking customer orders.
While companies promote AI as the future of the fast-food industry, these technologies have been featured in viral videos and covered in the media when orders go awry. McDonald’s drive-thru AI blunder became viral last year after several TikTok videos showcased the system incorrectly adding items, such as butter packs, or doubling the order quantities.
In one video, two women were captured laughing and requesting the system to cease adding items to their order, as it appeared to tally hundreds of dollars’ worth of McNuggets to their bill.
Automated systems have faced criticism for misinterpreting customer orders, as well as for depending on outsourced human labor for their operation. Presto Automation, which supplies AI services to fast-food chains, disclosed in an SEC filing last year that it employs customer-facing staff in countries like the Philippines, who spend around 70% of their time there.
In addition to drive-thru ordering, companies are exploring leveraging generative AI for creating digital chatbots on their apps or utilizing image recognition for estimating wait times.
In December, McDonald’s partnered with Google to develop a chatbot named “Ask Pickles” for guiding employees on tasks like cleaning restaurant equipment. The collaboration also encompasses exploring other potential applications of generative AI. As per Bloomberg’s report.
BYD’s innovative electric cars and advantageous pricing strategy hint at its potential for growth in the European auto market.
The company’s success as a major player in the electric vehicle market is contributing significantly to the global shift away from traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Battery Advantage
BYD’s expertise in battery manufacturing, particularly its use of low-cost lithium iron phosphate chemistry, positions it as a key player in the clean energy vehicle market.
Some analysts argue that BYD’s low-cost electric cars are helping to drive a greener future. Photo: Toya Sarno Jordan/Reuters
By focusing on clean energy technologies, BYD is making significant contributions to the global transition towards sustainable mobility.
A group of current and former employees from prominent artificial intelligence companies has published an open letter. The committee warned of inadequate safety oversight within the industry and called for better protection for whistleblowers.
The letter, advocating for a “right to warn about artificial intelligence,” is a rare public statement about the risks of AI from employees in a usually secretive industry. It was signed by 11 current and former employees of OpenAI and two current and former Google DeepMind employees, one of whom previously worked at Anthropic.
“AI companies have valuable non-public information about their systems’ capabilities, limitations, safeguards, and risk of harm. However, they have minimal obligations to share this information with governments and none with the public. We cannot rely on companies to share this information voluntarily,” the letter stated.
OpenAI defended its practices, stating that they have hotlines and mechanisms for issue reporting, and they do not release new technology without proper safeguards. Google did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence have been around for years, but the recent AI boom has heightened these concerns, leading regulators to struggle to keep up with technological advancements. While AI companies claim to be developing their technology safely, researchers and employees warn about a lack of oversight to prevent AI tools from exacerbating existing societal harms or creating new ones.
The letter also mentions a bill seeking to enhance protections for AI company employees who raise safety concerns. The bill calls for transparency and accountability principles, including not forcing employees to sign agreements that prevent them from discussing risk-related AI issues publicly.
In a recent report, it was revealed that companies like OpenAI have tactics to discourage employees from freely discussing their work, with consequences for those who speak out. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized for these practices and promised changes to exit procedures.
The open letter echoes concerns raised by former top OpenAI employees about the company’s lack of transparency in its operations. It comes after recent resignations of key OpenAI employees over disagreements about the company’s safety culture.
Reports suggest that Elon Musk’s visit to China led to an immediate benefit with a deal for Tesla to utilize mapping data from Baidu, a major web search company, to introduce driver-assistance technology to the largest car market globally. This marks a significant advancement.
Over the weekend, Musk made a surprise visit to China. He shared a photo of his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the social network X, which he acquired in 2022.
According to sources referenced by Bloomberg News, Baidu, a dominant force in Chinese web search, will offer mapping and navigation services to aid Tesla in implementing driver-assistance technology labeled as “Full Self-Driving” (FSD). The provision of mapping services, crucial for driver-assistance technology, is strictly regulated by the Chinese government.
Despite its name, FSD does not enable autonomous driving. It necessitates a driver who is prepared to take control at any moment. Launching in China could enhance Tesla’s position in the competitive market there and boost revenue. The service costs $8,000 or $99 (£80) per month, but is not accessible in many countries.
Musk has had confrontational interactions with politicians in the past, criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden and entering a dispute in Brazil over censorship issues on X, formerly Twitter. However, his approach towards China’s second-ranking official, Li, was more conciliatory, expressing being “honored” to meet him.
Musk’s interactions with China have been complex due to various business ties. X is blocked by the Chinese government due to strict censorship policies. Additionally, there were concerns from the Chinese government regarding an incident involving a satellite launched by SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, coming close to their space station.
However, Tesla operates a factory in Shanghai, and its Model Y was the third best-selling electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle in China in March 2024, according to CleanTechnica. BYD, a Chinese competitor to Tesla in electric car sales, has two top-selling models.
The news of Musk’s visit and the partnership with Baidu were met with enthusiasm by Tesla investors, who view potential self-driving capabilities as crucial for Tesla’s position as the most valuable automaker globally. Tesla’s stock price rose by 6% in premarket trading in New York.
Dan Ives, a technology analyst at Wedbush investment bank, mentioned in a client note that Tesla’s future standing relies heavily on FSD and autonomous driving. He emphasized the significance of making FSD accessible in China, a step that appears to be imminent.
ERon Musk became the richest man in the world by evangelizing electric cars and delivering one million electric cars. But in recent months, his company Tesla has struggled to maintain its momentum. This year's sales have declined and stock prices have fallen.
These struggles are emblematic of the broader situation facing the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The pace of sales growth has slowed after years of the coronavirus pandemic that sent demand and valuations soaring. The industry is entering a new phase, raising questions about whether the switch from gasoline and diesel to cleaner electricity will face a nasty stall or a temporary speed bump.
Musk acknowledged the difficulties this week, telling investors: “Globally, EV penetration is under pressure, with many other automakers pulling back from EVs and pursuing plug-in hybrids instead. ” he said. Musk, of course, insisted it was the wrong decision.
Electric vehicle charging stations in Norway, where EVs account for 90% of the market. Photo: Andreas Wirth/Alamy
However, sluggish sales are a reality. Tesla and its closest rival in electric car sales, China's BYD, have both reported declines in electric car sales. Across Europe, the share of sales of battery electric cars fell to 13% from 13.9% last year, while sales of hybrid cars, which combine a battery and an internal combustion engine, rose to 29% from 24.4%. In the UK, electric cars accounted for 15.5% of total car sales in the first three months of 2024, only a slight increase on the same period last year.
In recent years, electric car manufacturers have been able to easily sell every electric car they make. However, many companies around the world are currently struggling to cope with the end of the era of rock-bottom interest rates, when households have less money left in their pockets.
“The economic headwinds are pretty bad across the board, so it's no surprise that the economy is slowing down,” said Ian Henry, whose auto analysis consultancy works with several automakers.
Buyers still have to pay more upfront for battery cars (though most will save money by owning an electric car because energy is cheaper). Additionally, electric vehicle repair costs and insurance premiums may be higher in some locations due to a lack of mechanics. Another important factor is that the rollout of public chargers has been very patchy, giving some potential buyers pause. All of these were pounced on by EV industry skeptics, turning the industry into a culture war battleground.
government's hand
Rico Luhmann, senior sector economist for automotive at investment bank ING, said EV sales had reached a “plateau” and that after an initial rush of early adopters accustomed to switching from gas-powered cars, electric vehicle sales were on the rise. He said sales will become even more difficult. diesel.
But there is more at play in this showdown than purely economic factors. Government also plays a big role. This trend is particularly evident across Europe, where EV sales are following diverging paths even as buyers face similar pressures. Norway is an outlier. Electric vehicle sales are heavily subsidized and EVs currently account for 90% of the market. This year, EV market share also expanded in Denmark, Belgium, and France.
However, in Germany, once the largest electric car market, the adoption rate of electric cars has declined simply because the government has ended subsidies.
Regulations not only affect demand but also play a large role in the cars sold. Matthias Schmidt, a Berlin-based electric vehicle analyst, has long predicted that European electric vehicle sales growth will slow in 2024. The reason is that January 1, 2025, is the date when the EU will take the next big step towards zero-emission vehicles, meaning lower average carbon emissions. The carbon footprint of the cars sold by each manufacturer must be reduced by 15% compared to 2021.
Ford Puma. Photo: SYSPEO/Sipa/Rex/Shutterstock
Therefore, this rule is a big incentive for automakers to focus their efforts on electric vehicles next year. Schmidt argues that the European industry is experiencing a “replay” of the situation experienced in 2019 when manufacturers held back sales of electric cars before mass-launching new models in 2020.
Sure enough, automakers are releasing new mass-market models at just the right time. Renault's electric 5 hatchback will cost less than €25,000 (£21,430) when it goes on sale this autumn, while Ford plans to launch an electric version of Britain's best-selling car, the Ford Puma, later this year.
A man helps assemble an Opel Grandland X SUV at the Opel factory in Eisenach, eastern Germany. Photo: Martin Schutt/dpa/AFP/Getty Images
Stellantis, which owns the Vauxhall, Peugeot-Fiat, and Chrysler brands, is also joining the rush, unveiling the Vauxhall/Opel Grandland electric SUV on Tuesday. Still, the company's CEO, Carlos Tavares, complained bitterly about how regulations are encouraging the switch to electric cars.
This week, he slammed Britain's Transport Secretary Mark Harper over the government's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which forces car manufacturers to increase the proportion of electric vehicles they sell. He later told journalists that the mandate was a “terrible” policy because it would force automakers to introduce electric models too quickly.
“The result of this is that everyone starts pushing BEVs (battery electric vehicles), pushing metals into the market, completely destroying profitability and destroying businesses,” he said.
Schmidt said the automakers’ complaints could have ulterior motives. EU rules will ban the sale of most internal combustion engines by 2035 but are expected to be revised in 2026.
“Many manufacturers are now complaining that it's unrealistic to meet these goals, but that's lobbying by stealth,” Schmidt said. “They do it so often that it's almost like a boy-werewolf affair. There’s definitely an ulterior motive to their moans.”
But other manufacturers have already delayed that shift, which means extending the sales period for still-profitable gasoline models. In the United States, General Motors postponed production at a plant in Michigan last year, and Ford also postponed construction of a plant in Kentucky. And in the UK, luxury car maker Bentley announced last month that it would postpone the launch of its first battery car by one year, until 2026.
“Manufacturers are definitely struggling strategically at the moment,” Luhmann said. “They're playing around with the timing of the model right now, but they're not delaying it too much. If they don't, they're going to miss out in terms of market share.”
Perhaps the biggest reason why European and American automakers are unlikely to switch gears toward EVs is China. China sales growth may have slowed in the first quarter of 2024 compared to a year ago, but still exceeded 1 million units, according to industry data cited by Reuters. Many Chinese automakers, including leader BYD and cash-rich new entrants such as mobile phone maker Xiaomi, are fighting to dominate their home market and capture a new role as the world's biggest car exporter. There is.
During a recent visit to China, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out against protectionism, keenly aware that imposing penalties on Chinese EVs would lead to swift retaliation against German automakers, but that Chinese manufacturers remain He said there needs to be access to the market.
Massive competition is fierce for electric car makers, with even Tesla having to cut prices to keep selling its cars. The competition will give auto industry executives sleepless nights and could force some companies to face mergers or bankruptcies, causing job losses. But prices could fall even further, making electric cars cheaper than gasoline cars.
“This is potentially good for consumers,” Ian Henry said. “Whether that's a good thing for manufacturers who are trying to make a profit is another question.”
The UK government’s mandate for technology companies to self-regulate gambling-style loot boxes in video games has come under scrutiny as some developers, who were involved in creating industry guidelines, failed to comply with their own rules.
In the last six months, three companies, including major developer Electronic Arts (EA), faced charges from the advertising regulator for not disclosing the presence of loot boxes in their games as stipulated in the guidelines they helped establish.
Experts who filed the complaint noted numerous other breaches but only reported a few to highlight the issue to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Loot boxes are game features that allow players to spend real or virtual currency to unlock digital envelopes with random rewards like character outfits or weapons.
Despite concerns about the gambling-like risks associated with loot boxes, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport announced in July 2022 that loot boxes would not be classified as gambling products.
Nadine Dorries, the then culture secretary, expressed concerns about regulating loot boxes due to potential unintended consequences.
Instead of direct regulation, the government established a “technical working group” which included video game and tech companies and introduced 11 principles related to loot boxes in August 2023.
One of the guidelines requires clear disclosure of paid loot boxes in game promotions.
Leon Hsiao, an expert on loot box regulation, found that the majority of game ads he analyzed violated the group’s disclosure rules despite being members of the Loot Box Working Group.
Several games, including those from EA, Hutch, and Jagex, were subject to complaints upheld by the ASA for inadequate disclosure of loot boxes.
While EA and Jagex cited human error and lack of space for disclosures, Hatch claimed misunderstanding of the advertising guidelines.
Hsiao stressed that these incidents were not isolated and suggested the industry’s self-regulation efforts were not sufficient.
Don Foster, chairman of the House of Lords’ group for Gambling Reform, called out the failure of self-regulation and urged government intervention to protect children from loot box-related harm.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport emphasized the need for video game companies to enhance efforts in safeguarding players from loot box risks.
The UK games industry body Ukey supported the implementation of new guidelines by July 2024 to ensure player protection and promote responsible gaming.
EA affirmed their commitment to loot box disclosures and providing players with information for safe gaming practices.
Jagex and Hatch were contacted for comments by The Guardian.
Lee Tillman first ventured into the online world in the early 2010s through a health food blog that she started while in college, quickly making an impact. Transitioning to Instagram in 2014 alongside her contemporaries, she showcased her smoothie bowls, and almost overnight, gained 20,000 followers. This sudden popularity led to brands contacting her for product collaborations.
After two years, Tillman decided to leave her 9-to-5 job in Connecticut and relocate to Los Angeles. Within a year of the move, she amassed another 100,000 followers, secured representation from an agent and a manager, and began earning upwards of $15,000 per post. She also landed a significant partnership with a major food and lifestyle brand, resulting in sold-out products with every post.
Tillman posted on Instagram. Photo: Instagram/@leefromamerica
Living in Brooklyn, New York at 34, Tillman adhered to a lifestyle aligned with her wellness philosophy, consuming solely organic produce and grains while abstaining from complex carbohydrates and artificial detergents. Additionally, she practiced intermittent fasting from 7 pm to noon, adhering strictly to her health-focused regime.
However, the relentless focus on creating content began taking a toll on her well-being. Despite the admiration from her followers, Tillman found herself isolated from personal relationships, feeling the pressure of constant performance evaluations based on her posts. Her relentless pursuit of follower milestones led to a desire for a million followers, further exacerbating the strain.
By 2018, Tillman faced public scrutiny and criticism for conducting workshops deemed too expensive, prompting her to confront the reality of the inaccessibility of health. The backlash drove her to contemplate drastic measures, including thoughts of suicide. Recognizing the emergence of an eating disorder tied to her strict diet, she made the decision to seek help, taking a break from social media, and undergoing treatment.
Returning to her online platforms, Tillman made a deliberate shift from her former health-centric content, choosing to share personal aspects of her life, including her pets, fashion, and interior design. Embracing a more flexible approach to her diet and lifestyle, she found liberation in enjoying a variety of foods, straying from the stringent restrictions of her past regimen.
The transition away from her health-focused content resulted in a decline in her follower count and commercial rates, reflecting a departure from her previous influencer status. Despite the financial repercussions, Tillman acknowledged the therapeutic importance of reclaiming a more balanced lifestyle, realizing that engaging with social media in a healthy manner was a challenging feat.
In 2020, Tillman relocated to New York, taking a hiatus from posting on social media. Reflecting on her journey, she found solace in rediscovering a sense of normalcy and transitioning to marketing consulting. Through her workshops and upcoming book, she aims to share her insights on the influencer industry and her decision to move away from it.
While reminiscing about her earlier days of lucrative influencer deals, Tillman acknowledges the allure of the wellness industry but emphasizes her personal growth and evolution. Despite occasional pleas from followers to return to her health-centric content, Tillman has embraced a new chapter in her life, prioritizing authenticity and balance.
Gender gaps within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) still persist despite significant advancements. Women continue to be underrepresented, with only 29.2% of STEM employees being women compared to nearly 50% in non-STEM occupations, as reported in the Global Gender Gap Report (2023).
However, the urgent need to address goes beyond just getting women into STEM. A recent study at UCL revealed that female she-STEM students are twice as likely to have experienced sex discrimination compared to non-STEM students.
With advancements in hackers and digital technologies, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is on the rise to combat digital threats. The global cybersecurity market is projected to reach $424.97 billion by 2030, highlighting the importance of closing the gender gap to address this deficit.
Throughout history, women in STEM fields have overcome barriers, but there is still a long way to go. Here are five remarkable women who have significantly contributed to STEM:
5 women who advanced STEM
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)
Dame Stephanie Shirley “Steve” (1933-present)
Michelle Zatlin (1979-present)
Elizabeth Coulon (1994-present)
Ada Loveless
Augusta Ada, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852) British mathematician and writer. – (Photo courtesy of Universal History Archive/Getty Images)
Ada Lovelace, a prominent figure in computer engineering, was ahead of her time. She envisioned a steam-powered flying machine at 12 and played a significant role in Charles Babbage’s analytical engine, laying the foundation for modern computing.
Katherine Johnson
Portrait of NASA/NACA female physicist and scientist Katherine Johnson, 1955. – Image courtesy of NASA. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician, played a crucial role in NASA’s early missions, including Glenn’s orbit in 1962 and the Apollo 13 mission. Her calculations contributed to landing humans on the moon and creating a flight plan for crew safety.
Mrs. Stephanie Shirley
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley has been appointed a Member of the Order of the Brotherhood by the Duke of Cambridge. – Photo credit: John Stillwell – WPA Pool / Getty Images
Stephanie Shirley, a work-from-home pioneer, founded Freelance Programmers and overcame industry obstacles through her innovative approach, paving the way for equal labor rights. She also founded Autistica, a charity dedicated to autism research.
Michelle Zatlin
CloudFlare’s Michelle Zatlin will be on stage judging Startup Battlefield. – Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch
Michelle Zatlin, a technology pioneer, co-founded Cloudflare, a cybersecurity company that prevents cyberattacks and safeguards internet traffic. Cloudflare’s projects, such as “Athenian” and “Project Cyber Safe Schools,” focus on election integrity and cybersecurity in schools.
Elizabeth Coulombe
Elizabeth Coulombe, co-founder of Tero. – Photo credit: Tero
Elizabeth Coulombe, the CEO of Tero, developed a device that recycles food waste into organic fertilizer in hours, addressing global food waste issues. Her innovation has prevented significant waste from reaching landfills, contributing to environmental sustainability.
Women have played pivotal roles in shaping a better world, from cybersecurity to environmental sustainability, demonstrating their impact and contributions to solving pressing global issues.
Cars have weight issues. The example of the Mini, designed to save fuel during rationing, highlights this trend. The size of cars is increasing, especially with the surge in popularity of SUVs.
Electric cars may look similar to traditional cars for now, but the key difference is the heavy battery they carry.
In our series debunking electric vehicle myths, we address common misconceptions about EVs, including range anxiety, carbon emissions, mining, and air pollution. In this final episode, we investigate whether electric cars will be too heavy for our roads and infrastructure.
Claim
As roads have evolved over time, concerns have arisen about whether electric cars will strain infrastructure like roads, bridges, and parking lots due to the weight of their batteries.
Matthew Lin, a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, recently questioned the readiness of charging infrastructure and the capacity of roads and bridges to handle heavier vehicles.
Conservative MP Greg Knight urged the UK government to test the structural integrity of multi-storey car parks and bridges against the added weight of electric vehicles.
The Asphalt Industry Alliance warned that small roads could suffer more potholes, while the Daily Mail suggested that multi-storey car parks might be at risk of collapse due to the weight of electric vehicles.
Science
Electric cars can be quite heavy. For example, General Motors’ Hummer weighs over four tons, with a significant portion of that weight attributed to its battery pack. On the other hand, the Tesla Model Y, a more affordable electric car, weighs 2 tons, still lighter than some traditional vehicles like the Range Rover or Ford F-150.
The Tesla Model Y weighs 2 tons, lighter than a Range Rover or Ford F-150. Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
According to a transport and environment advocacy group, EVs are on average 300-400kg heavier than traditional vehicles. The weight of the battery increases by approximately 100kg for every 150km of range.
The increased weight of electric cars leads to more road wear and faster deterioration of roads. However, a study found that the wear is primarily caused by heavy vehicles like buses and trucks, rather than cars and motorcycles.
Road wear is primarily caused by heavy vehicles like buses, rather than cars or motorcycles. Photo: Joe Giddens/Pennsylvania
Regarding bridges, most in the UK can support vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tonnes, with a safety margin built into the design. There are no concerns about national highways, which are built to accommodate heavy goods vehicles.
There are limitations to the weight of electric vehicles, especially in older car parks. While newer facilities can accommodate heavier vehicles, older structures may require reinforcement to handle the increased weight.
Options for multi-storey car park owners include strengthening the building or reducing the number of cars on each floor, which can impact profits.
Regular inspections are essential for car park owners to ensure the structural integrity of their buildings amid the transition to heavier electric vehicles.
Governments could encourage smaller cars through policies such as taxes and parking fees. Photo: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
It’s worth noting that advancements in battery technology may address the weight concerns of electric vehicles in the future. Continued progress in battery energy density could lead to lighter EVs in the long run.
Encouraging smaller cars through policy measures like taxes and fees can have additional benefits beyond reducing road wear, such as resource conservation, carbon emission reductions, and improved parking lot management.
While EVs are heavier than traditional vehicles, it’s unlikely that their weight will significantly impact road infrastructure. Concerns about weight should not overshadow the importance of transitioning to zero-emission vehicles.
T A few years ago, a game developer’s tormented ex-boyfriend published a vindictive article accusing her of trading sex to get positive reviews for her indie game. This took her to 4chan, the most disgusting corner of the internet in 2014, and a harassment campaign began, targeting all women working in video game development and gaming press, as well as her LGBTQ+ community in the industry. It has spread to. Sensing the bloodshed, his YouTube “alt-right” provocateurs and Steve Bannon’s Breitbart jumped on the bandwagon and quickly took control. And once this fabricated outrage became known, Gamergate mutated into one of the first front lines of modern society. A culture war sparked by social media, misogyny, and weaponized youth grievances. Many of those tactics became part of President Trump’s campaign strategy.
This week, 16 narrative design studios found themselves at the center of a conspiracy theory that holds them responsible for an insidious epidemic of “funny behavior” in modern video games. The group, which has more than 200,000 followers on the PC game store Steam and thousands of followers on its Discord chat channel, is the group that Sweet Baby Inc. has asked game developers to change the physical appearance, ethnicity, and They believe it is secretly forcing them to change their sexuality to fit the “woke world.” ideology. They believe that Sweet Baby has secretly created and controlled nearly every popular video game of the past five years, keeping straight white men out. As President Trump heads to the campaign trail again, this is part of a broader far-right panic about diversity and inclusion, resulting in regressive anti-women and anti-woke bills already being proposed in the US and other countries. is being brought about.
Pride Support … Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Photo provided by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Of course, the agency in question has done nothing of the sort. This is just a story development studio, the equivalent of a video game script doctor, working with game developers to make sure the plot makes sense and the characters aren’t embarrassingly disconnected. The consultancy’s mission is to “make games more engaging, more fun, more meaningful, and more inclusive.” For example, developers can’t dictate that a game feature a black female protagonist. I don’t have the power to dictate anything. But employees still bear the brunt of the online mob’s wrath. They are anonymized, threatened and abused online.
Ten years ago, it was female gaming journalists and critics who were at the forefront of the firefight. This time I’m a narrative designer. But the conspiracy theorists’ message is the same. There is no diversity in the game. If you are a woman, gay, or person of color working in this industry, you should expect the worst.
Nathan Grayson aftermath and Alyssa Mercante Kotaku They investigated the origins and spread of the Sweet Baby conspiracy theory. Its supporters paint a picture of the consultancy’s ludicrous ties to BlackRock and a funding crisis affecting the gaming industry as a whole. This is not the first time since Gamergate that this kind of harassment has spread. Depressingly, systematic mistreatment of game developers has now become somewhat commonplace, especially when they do something as bold as incorporating a Pride flag into Spider-Man’s Manhattan or taking the time. Masu. Implementing MOD support For Baldur’s Gate 3. All his 91% of developers investigated Last year’s Game Developers Conference said player harassment was a problem, with 42% calling it a “very serious” problem.
When Gamergate was happening, the silence of much of the video game industry was deafening. Instead of coming to the defense of those targeted, nearly everyone who wasn’t directly attacked by the Gamergate mob tried to stick their fingers in their ears and pretend nothing was happening. Media publishers, game developers, and publishers alike are motivated by fear of making the situation worse and alienating what they fear is a significant portion of their audience. As a result, women were unable to speak up in defense of women until it was too late. not at all. IGN was the most popular gaming website in the world at the time. published A surprisingly weak movement of bipartisanship about “recent unpleasant events,” one could not even call the movement by name.
The situation did not subside because the gaming industry did not have a decisive voice. Inaction did not deter the mob. Those who have been harassed in some cases and forced out of their homes or workplaces have simply been left feeling alone, enraged, and often fearful. The main targets at the time were female developers, journalists, and commentators. This is a gathering of narrative consultants.
In the decade since Gamergate, the culture wars instigated on gamer forums have spread and contaminated nearly every aspect of our lives. The last decade has taught us that these people aren’t going away. There may always be people who believe that the mere presence of women and minorities in video games, Star Wars, or the halls of cultural and political power is meaningless. This is an insult and a symptom of the “woke virus.”
“Alan Wake 2” developer Remedy Entertainment has denied accusations that story production company Sweet Baby ensured the main character would be a black woman. Photo courtesy of Remedy Entertainment
But we also learned that ignoring them doesn’t help. That will only make the situation worse. The people who work at Sweet Baby shouldn’t be left to suffer because of the studio that employs them. Independent developers are getting braver in speaking out on social media these days: ‘Alan Wake 2’ director Posted A conspiracy theory that Sweet Baby forced developers to change the ethnicity of its characters is “absolutely not true”. and Mary Kenny, associate director of Marvel’s Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games. tweeted a strong denial. But companies themselves need to follow suit. Publishers and developers who have worked with Sweet Baby Inc include Warner Bros. Games and PlayStation’s Santa Monica Studios. Where can I find their support? Are they going to publicly protect those who contributed to the multi-million dollar game from false accusations, or are they going to let the trolls control the narrative?
No one is forcing diversity into video games. It’s happening naturally as players and developers themselves become more diverse. Gamergate didn’t blackmail women out of video games ten years ago, and we won’t be blackmailed now. The gaming industry knows that, no matter what some struggling gamers think, a wider range of content, made with contributions from a wider range of people and featuring a wider range of characters, is good for creativity and good for business. Now we must make that support fully and clearly articulated.
IAlthough it’s far from his best album, or even the best album of the 1990s, Hours… is David Bowie’s most important album of the decade. However, it wasn’t the music’s fault, but the way it was released. The first album by an artist on the Major His label appeared as a download before it was physically released.
Rolling Stone, writing about the album in August 1999 ahead of its September release, called The Hours a “cyber coup.” This is a continuation of Bowie’s enthusiasm for releasing music online, which began with his 1996 single ‘Telling Lies’. He was also very active. He embraced webcasting and in 1998 he founded his own internet service provider with BowieNet. “I couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to bring the music industry closer to making digital downloads the norm rather than the exception,” he says. How did Bowie explain the release of “Hours…” at the time? “We all know that broadband opportunities are still not available to the overwhelming majority of people, so we hope that the success of this experiment will be measured in hundreds of downloads, not thousands. But just as color television broadcasts and film content on home videotape were necessary first steps to expand the industry’s consumer use, I believe this small step will help my own and others’ We hope this will lead to a huge leap forward for people and ultimately give consumers more choice and easier choice, allowing them to access the music they enjoy.”
The strangeness of cyberspace… David Bowie’s artwork for The Hours…
In early 1998, Virgin Records/EMI made Massive Attack’s Mezzanine available for streaming in its entirety online, with track-by-track previews available over several weeks, in conjunction with its physical release. At the time, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) warned against this, suggesting that streaming experiments could increase the likelihood of albums being pirated and burned onto CDs by tech-savvy individuals. This did not stop other major labels and their label acts from experimenting from time to time. Def Leppard and Red Hot Chili Peppers made their latest albums, Euphoria and Californication, respectively, available for streaming in full on June 4, 1999, four days before the records hit stores. Bob Merlis of the Chili Peppers’ label, Warner Bros., said, “Getting airplay is getting airplay. You just have to define the atmosphere.” “Since I can’t download it, I thought this was a good idea.”
But Bowie’s album release was designed to be a huge step forward. In 1999 he Interview by Jeremy Paxman He appeared on BBC Newsnight to talk about his career, art and what gives him the most energy – the internet. This 16-minute interview is still published on the BBC website, especially since Bowie’s death in January 2016, as evidence of his remarkable foresight regarding the impact of the internet on art, politics and society. Shared frequently. “I don’t think we’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg,” he told the weary and cynical Paxman. “I think the possibilities that the Internet brings to society are unimaginable, for better or worse. I think we are actually on the cusp of something both exhilarating and frightening.” Paxman says in his own words. suggested that it was just a “tool” that inspired Bowie to take action. “No, it’s not,” he said. “No, it’s an extraterrestrial!”
I
Last week, we discussed the long-standing rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation, and how Microsoft’s strategy of releasing games on all platforms, including rival consoles, could signal the end of gaming as we know it. I touched on the potential beginning of this shift. Now, recent news has emerged: Sony is laying off 900 employees across its global studios. Why would a company behind the highly successful PlayStation 5, which outperformed its competitors 3 to 1, take such drastic measures? The end of the console wars may be inevitable, rather than a choice. The landscape of the gaming industry has drastically changed from how it operated in the past.
The announcement of PlayStation’s decision to lay off 8% of its workforce came in a company-wide email from outgoing CEO Jim Ryan less than a week ago. Celebrations at London’s studio were overshadowed by the departure of many employees. Studios like Firesprite are being closed permanently, with other UK branches facing functional reductions. Major studios like Guerrilla Games, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac have also been affected. US-based Sony employees are awaiting further details on how they will be impacted. The email concluded with an ironic appeal for kindness amongst employees.
PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst provided context for this decision in a blog post, citing the evolving landscape of the industry as a driving force behind the layoffs. The demand for high-quality, socially connected gaming experiences necessitates a reevaluation of operational strategies. While growth is essential, it must be purposeful. Some projects have been deemed unfeasible to pursue given the current industry climate.
Analysis points to widespread overinvestment during the 2020-2021 boom, fueled by pandemic-induced demand and surplus capital. The subsequent decline in investment left many studios vulnerable. Despite the profitability of the industry, anticipated layoffs and cost-cutting measures across various gaming sectors are expected in the upcoming years. The closure of Danish studio Die Gute Fabrik serves as a recent example of this trend.
The inability of even industry leaders like Sony to sustain large-scale game development poses significant concerns. Escalating production costs and a focus on continual revenue streams through “live service” games have heightened anxieties about job security within the industry. The success of individual titles like Marvel Spider-Man 2 and PlayStation 5 console sales have not shielded developers from workforce reductions. The sustainability of the console business remains a pressing issue.
The trend towards blockbuster titles with escalating budgets reflects a stark departure from the medium-sized game landscape of the past. Studios once relied on major releases to support smaller projects, fostering a diverse gaming ecosystem. However, the modern industry climate demands unparalleled success, leaving little room for niche or medium-sized games to thrive.
Die Gute Fabrik, the indie studio behind Saltsea Chronicles, has halted production.
Photo: Di Gute Fabric
TOxygen smog has been a part of big city life since the Industrial Revolution. Harmful particles can be like pea soup, so thick that they are difficult to see and breathe. But in many cities around the rich world, that dirty oil was banished as car engines became cleaner and factories moved. (Poor cities are still not so lucky.)
Some people believe that the transition to electric vehicles could reverse some of that progress. That means heavier cars and particles created by friction can sacrifice clean air on the altar of zero carbon emissions.
In our EV myth-busting series, the Guardian has examined claims about electric vehicles (EVs), examining issues ranging from carbon emissions and battery fires to the idea of overtaking them with hydrogen. In the latest installment of the series, do electric cars have an air pollution problem?
Claim
Electric cars eliminate engine pollution, but brakes and tires still rely on friction to function. This friction can cause substances to break down and eventually be released into the environment. Some argue that the transition to EVs could increase overall air pollution because they tend to be heavier and have more wear and tear.
In 2022, then British Environment Minister George Eustace said: Said Congress of “skepticism” about improving air quality. “Some say the fact that these vehicles are heavier means they may be less profitable than some are expecting, just from road wear and tear, but it's a bit unclear at this point. ” he said.
The Daily Mail reported that tire pollution is the “dirty secret of electric cars”, while the Sun reported that “super-heavy electric cars actually cause more pollution than petrol or diesel motors” EV drivers are being warned about how to
science
EVs do not directly burn fossil fuels and produce no emissions when produced using only zero-carbon electricity. This means that not only carbon dioxide, but also carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, a mixture of carbon, metals and unburned hydrocarbons are not emitted in urban areas. (Fossil fuel power plants still have problems charging electric cars, but they tend…thors difficult, and there have been relatively few comparative studies to date. This means there is still uncertainty as to whether the extra weight of EV batteries will lead to worse particulate pollution.
The shift to SUVs makes vehicles increasingly taller, wider and heavier, worsening carbon emissions. Photo: Mike Kemp/Photography/Getty Images
German tire maker Continental said vehicle and tire design is more important than driving style or road curves in determining wear (a point echoed by Malden). A Continental spokesperson said: “In principle, electric cars do not generate more particulate matter than comparable internal combustion…ase by a slight decrease in total PM emissions from road traffic in the future.” The study found that heavier electric vehicles experience slightly more road and tire wear than larger electric vehicles. 10pm Particles and smaller objects PM2.5. However, when engine pollution was added, gasoline and diesel cars did slightly worse.
The automobile industry disregarded warnings from over a decade ago about the risks of keyless technology in modern vehicles leading to a rise in vehicle thefts, as revealed by an investigation in the automotive sector. The observer can disclose.
Legal and computer experts had cautioned that keyless entry and vehicle software were vulnerable to being “hacked” due to inadequate security measures.
Findings indicated that car owners could potentially face theft without any evidence of forced entry in the future.
The surge in vehicle crimes through keyless entry has resulted in record hikes in car insurance costs, with some drivers now confronted with premiums exceeding £2,000 annually. Car thefts in England and Wales reached a decade-high in the year leading up to March 2023.
Observers discovered the following:
Devices camouflaged as gaming consoles, referred to as ’emulators’, are utilized by thieves to mimic electronic keys and steal vehicles within 20 seconds. This is applicable to Hyundai and Kia models.
The ‘smart’ devices are available for purchase online for up to £5,000, allowing criminals to breach a vehicle’s computer system and program a new key.
Police in various regions report a high rate of keyless car thefts and are resolving some cases within 24 hours, even with CCTV footage available.
Nick Freeman, an attorney specializing in the automotive industry, remarked: “The automotive sector was neglectful as they were forewarned about this new technology emerging. It’s a dire situation where individuals are compelled to pay exorbitant insurance premiums.
In November, Jaguar Land Rover announced a £10m investment to enhance the security of high-target car models manufactured between 2018 and 2022. The observer Investigations highlighted similar security vulnerabilities in other vehicles, prompting Hyundai to acknowledge this weekend that criminals had “utilized a device to unlawfully disable smart key lock systems” to access their vehicles. They affirmed the immediate implementation of preventive measures.
A report from 2011 by researchers at the University of California and the University of Washington indicated the potential for attacks on the software in contemporary cars, potentially allowing breaching the car’s telematics system to unlock doors and start the engine without authorization.
An article published in the April 2012 Computer Law and Security Review by specialist barrister Stephen Mason highlighted the vulnerability of keyless systems, warning that vehicles could be stolen without any forced entry unless security enhancements were introduced.
Mr. Mason expressed, “There was a sense of complacency and lack of concern in the automotive sector that hesitated to invest in proper security. We now have state-of-the-art cars with advanced technology, yet owners rely on traditional steering locks for theft protection.”
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) refutes claims of security lapses in the industry, suggesting it is engaged in an ongoing battle with criminals. SMMT CEO Mike Hawes stated: “Automakers continuously introduce new technology to outsmart criminals. This investment has significantly reduced vehicle theft over the past three decades.
“Manufacturers are continually strengthening their security systems, but technology alone cannot prevent all thefts, which is why our industry collaborates closely with law enforcement, insurers, and other security stakeholders.”
The Home Office reports an overall reduction in vehicle crime, including thefts from vehicles. A spokesperson emphasized the importance of law enforcement in addressing motor vehicle crime and commended their commitment to pursuing thorough investigations.
“We have made significant strides in combating vehicle crime, which has decreased by 39% since 2010. New regulations in the Criminal Justice Bill will outlaw electronic devices used in vehicle theft.”
Luna is a visionary fintech platform dedicated to revolutionizing the events and entertainment industry through innovative technology.
By integrating Web 3.0 and blockchain technology, RHUNA aims to improve user experience, improve security and transparency, and foster closer and more engaged communities around the world.
UNTOLD Universe is one of the top five music festival organizers in the world, with over 1.5 million attendees each year. Rhuna combines CryptoDATA's innovative technology development expertise and experience with this pioneering platform.
One of the key features RHUNA offers is the introduction of a decentralized ticketing system that leverages the power of blockchain, where tickets are issued as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This ensures authenticity, ownership, and a secure and transparent secondary market. This system effectively eliminates common problems such as fraud and scalping, providing a fairer and more reliable ticketing experience. The modular functionality structure within the ecosystem means that even large event organizers can customize event management, especially ticketing and payments, with incredible speed and accuracy.
The platform also features an integrated digital wallet that supports various cryptocurrencies, allowing seamless trading of tickets, goods, and services. This not only caters to a growing crypto-savvy audience, but also reduces fees and simplifies the payment process.
Smart contracts automate key transactions and contracts, from ticket sales to performer payments, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and trust across all transactions. Additionally, RHUNA values user privacy and control, allowing participants to securely manage their personal data through decentralized identities.
As an industry first, RHUNA introduces a token-based loyalty and rewards program, giving users the opportunity to earn tokens on a variety of activities. These tokens can be redeemed for special experiences, merchandise, or discounts, fostering a strong sense of community and engagement within the RHUNA ecosystem.
The platform also pioneers the use of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) in event planning, giving the community a voice in the decision-making process, from event themes to artist lineups. This democratized approach ensures that RHUNA remains closely aligned with the desires and preferences of its user base.
“The Rhuna project is not just a technical solution. It is an adaptable and dynamic system that interconnects social and technical elements, providing opportunities through solutions that address a wide range of needs. Architecture, Technology, implementation methods, and usage modes are factors that influence the optimization of resources when performing activities.In the current movement, resources such as time, people, materials, and costs are multifaceted within a 3D system. Rhuna is the perfect tool to give everyone access and control. Rhuna is a way for everyone to visualize and actively intervene in them. Luna is a catalyst that makes the abstract tangible and essential for everyone involved in the entertainment industry.” – Bogdan Marunšiš, Global Head of Strategy, CryptoDATA
Bogdan Radulescu, co-founder and CBO of UNTOLD, put it succinctly: “We are pushing the boundaries of festival finance into the 21st century, redefining event organization and engagement for the benefit of organizers around the world.”
The interface will be accessible to participants of all technical backgrounds and will be unveiled at the 9th UNTOLD festival in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. RHUNA aims to introduce new innovations to the “World Capital of Night and Magic” to enhance the festival experience for over 400,000 attendees.
About crypto data
A leader in technology innovation, CryptoData develops solutions that address real-world challenges and pushes the boundaries of technology to advance society.Users can learn more at cryptodata.com.
About Untold Universe
Known for creating transformative experiences through music and entertainment, UNTOLD Universe invites you to explore enchanting realms. untold.ae.
Users are welcome to join this thrilling journey. RHUNA.iotechnology and entertainment come together to create an unforgettable experience.
Microsoft has announced that four previously exclusive Xbox games are being made available on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. Additionally, the company plans to reveal details about the next version of its Xbox console by the end of 2024.
In a video podcast with other Xbox executives, Phil Spencer, Microsoft gaming CEO, did not reveal the names of the four games but mentioned that each is over a year old. Two of them are live service games and the other two are smaller titles. Spencer shared that his favorite games from the selection are the multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves and the musical action game Hi-Fi Rush. It has also been confirmed that the space epic Starfield from last year and the upcoming Indiana Jones game will remain exclusive to Xbox.
This move signifies a significant shift in strategy for Microsoft, focusing on increasing sales of first-party games rather than emphasizing hardware sales for Xbox. The company has faced tough competition from PlayStation ever since the original launch of Xbox in 2001.
To strengthen its gaming business, Microsoft has been actively acquiring various studios and gaming companies, such as Minecraft developer Mojang, Elder Scrolls and Fallout studio Bethesda, and Candy Crush publisher Activision Blizzard King. The acquisition process for Activision Blizzard involved extensive legal and regulatory procedures, but Microsoft is committed to making its popular games, including Call of Duty, available on other consoles.
Sara Bond, Xbox president, reiterated that Microsoft is not planning to exit the console business. She also mentioned that the company has exciting hardware products set to be shared later this holiday season.
HHydrogen is a fascinating substance, being the lightest element. When it reacts with oxygen, only water is produced and an abundance of energy is released. This invisible gas looks like the clean fuel of the future. Some of the world's top automakers hope it will usurp batteries as the technology of choice for zero-emissions driving.
In our EV myth-busting series, we've looked at a range of concerns, from car fires to battery mining, range anxiety to cost concerns and carbon emissions. Many critics of electric cars argue that gasoline and diesel engines should not be abandoned. This article asks whether hydrogen offers a third way and has the potential to overtake batteries.
Claim
Many of the strongest arguments for the role of hydrogen in the auto industry are coming from CEOs at the heart of the industry. Japan's Toyota is the most vocal promoter of hydrogen, with Chairman Akio Toyoda saying last month that he expects the share of battery cars to peak at 30%, with hydrogen and internal combustion engines making up the rest. Toyota's Mirai is one of the only widely available hydrogen-powered vehicles, along with Hyundai's Nexo SUV.
“Hydrogen is the missing piece of the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility,” Oliver Zipse, president of German automaker BMW, said last year. BMW may be investing heavily in battery technology, but the company is testing the BMW iX5 hydrogen fuel cell vehicle despite using Toyota's fuel cells. “One technology alone is not enough to enable climate-neutral mobility around the world,” said Zipse.
science
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but that doesn't mean it's easily available on Earth. Most of today's pure hydrogen is made by decomposing carbon from methane, which releases carbon. Zero-emission “green hydrogen” is produced through electrolysis. In other words, it uses clean electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
To use hydrogen as a fuel, it can be burned or used in fuel cells. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the air in the presence of a catalyst (often made of expensive platinum). This strips the electrons flowing through the electrical circuit and charges the battery, which can power the electric motor.
According to Jean-Michel Billig, chief technology officer for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development at Stellantis, hydrogen enables refueling in four minutes, higher payload and longer range. (The Mirai can travel 400 miles on a full tank.) Stellantis, which began producing hydrogen vans in France and Poland last month, is targeting companies that want to use their vehicles all the time but don't want the downtime required to charge them. .
“They need to be on the streets,” Billig said. “If there are no taxis running, you will be losing money.”
Stellantis believes it can lower sticker prices. Billig said that although the company manufactures both, he expects “by the end of this decade, hydrogen mobility and BEVs will be on par from a cost perspective.”
Many energy experts do not share hydrogen carmakers' enthusiasm. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has described this technology as “sold by idiots.” Why use green electricity to make hydrogen when you can use the same electricity to power your car?
All energy conversion involves wasted heat. This means that hydrogen fuel necessarily provides less energy to the vehicle. (These losses are even greater when hydrogen is directly combusted or used to make electronic fuels that replace gasoline and diesel in noisy, hot internal combustion engines.)
David Sebon, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Cambridge, said: “With green hydrogen, it would take around three times more electricity to produce the hydrogen to power a car than just to charge the battery. “It will be.”
This may be a slight improvement, but not enough to cause problems with the battery. “It's hard to do anything much better than this,” Sebon said.
Michael Liebreich, chairman of Liebreich Associates and founder of analyst firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is an influential “Hydrogen ladder” – A league table ranking the use of hydrogen in terms of whether there are cheaper, easier or more likely alternatives. He placed automotive hydrogen on the “doom row”, with little opportunity even in niche markets.
Can hydrogen overtake car batteries? “The answer is no,” Liebreich said without hesitation. He added that carmakers betting on a large share of hydrogen would be “completely wrong” and set for costly disappointments.
The main problem with hydrogen cars is not the fuel cells, but actually delivering clean hydrogen where it is needed. This gas is highly flammable, with all the attendant safety concerns, so it must be stored under pressure and easily leaks. It also contains less energy per unit volume than fossil fuels, so unless you use electrolyzers on site, you will need many times more tankers.
The United States and Europe are beginning to invest in hydrogen supplies with heavy government subsidies. But so far, it has been a chicken-and-egg problem. Buyers don't want hydrogen cars because they can't fill them up, and since there are no cars, there are no filling stations. According to the European Hydrogen Observatory, there are 178 hydrogen filling stations in Europe, half of them in Germany. In the UK, he compares nine hydrogen stations to 8,300 petrol stations or his 31,000 public charging locations (not including household plugs).
Are there any precautions?
So why does the International Energy Agency think hydrogen will account for 16% of road transport in 2050 on the path to net zero? The answer lies primarily in heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks .
Liebreich said he is so convinced that batteries will continue to dominate the energy supply for heavy-duty vehicles that he co-founded a truck charging company. “HGVs may contain hydrogen, but it will be in the minority,” he said.
Speaking to Autocar in October, even Toyota admitted that the use of hydrogen in cars has so far been “unsuccessful” primarily due to fuel supply shortages. said Hiroki Nakajima, technical director. Trucks and coaches have high hopes for the technology, and the company is also prototyping a hydrogen version of its Hilux pickup truck.
What kind of energy supply will govern heavy goods vehicles? Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
verdict
As government enthusiasm waxes and wanes, the economics of hydrogen will change as well. Other changes may occur. As technology improves (within limits), gas may become more attractive, and prospectors may be able to find cheap “white hydrogen” drilled out of the ground.
However, when it comes to cars, it seems like the deal has already been settled. Batteries are already the second choice after gasoline for almost all manufacturers. According to the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Trade Association, fewer than 300 hydrogen cars will be sold in the UK over 20 years, compared to 1 million electric cars.
The battery advantage is likely to grow even further as research and infrastructure dollars address issues of range and charging time. Compared to that flood of investment, hydrogen is a tiny fraction.
Proponents of hydrogen now face the question of whether they can build a profitable business in transporting long-distance, heavy goods by road. They need answers soon about where they will get enough green, cheap hydrogen and whether that gas is better used elsewhere.
T
The impact of artificial intelligence on creative industries is a topic that has sparked widespread fears of job losses and the death of imagination, and the world of fashion is no exception.
But this month’s London Fashion Week, which marks the event’s 40th anniversary, will feature a slew of AI-generated costumes, with industry insiders saying the technology is helping to make the journey from improving diversity to shortening the path to the design desk. He is expressing increasing optimism about what the field can do. Go to the sales floor.
President of London College of Fashion innovation agency
Matthew Drinkwater believes AI will prove to be an “incredibly useful tool” for the creative process and the industry as a whole.
“It’s opened the door to a non-traditional path into the fashion industry for people who wouldn’t have been able to get into it before, because let’s be honest, this industry is pretty elitist and very This is because there may be a perception that the industry is exclusive and expensive.
“But thanks to these tools, people from completely different backgrounds are starting to gain a foothold in the industry. And to me, that feels really fresh and exciting,” he said.
Brands such as Heriot Emil, Zara and H&M are already using AI to manage their supply chains, promoting sustainability by reducing overstock and waste. Many brands are also leveraging AI to aid the design process, visualizing different materials and patterns using garment images generated from input prompts. This allows designers to make informed decisions before the garment is physically produced.
consulting company McKinsey predicted
Last year, generative AI (a term used to describe technology that can generate compelling images, text, and audio from simple human prompts) drove the domestic fashion and luxury sector’s operating profits from $150 billion to $275 billion ($120 billion). It has been announced that this could increase from £220 billion to £220 billion. Next 3-5 years. It is predicted that the use of AI to predict future fashion trends and the realization of virtual try-on will be just around the corner.
Drinkwater has been working with his team to consider how AI can change the industry, and has been testing generative AI’s ability to create clothing for years. “We were trying to scrape websites and get a lot of data so we could create a dress from over 40,000 images. It was actually quite a task to do this four years ago. But now they open up their laptops, or even their smartphones, and start generating images very quickly,” Drinkwater said.
A collaboration between VFX and AI artist Atara and London College of Fashion’s Fashion Innovation Agency will take place in March 2023.
“So typically we take things that are probably three to five years away from commercialization and start showing research projects about where the future of the industry could move,” he added.
Last April, Cyrille Foiret’s generative AI studio, Maison Meta, hosted the first AI Fashion Week in New York. This included a competition for aspiring designers to create a fashion line using AI. Winners were able to physically manufacture their collections for sale online at retailer Revolve. As in other industries, AI has become associated with layoffs, with critics arguing that creative artistry could be lost. But Foiret insists there is little need to fear.
“AI is a very powerful tool to amplify creativity. People who think it will reduce their jobs should not think that way. We just need to get used to the tool, but it is just a tool.” , and it’s useless if there’s no one behind it,” he said.
Arti Zeighami, former chief data and analytics officer at H&M and now senior AI advisor at consulting firm BCG, agrees that AI can be used as a force for good in the fashion world. “Being transparent about AI can help people feel less fearful and more secure and in control. What’s important is a change in human thinking,” he said.
“AI will evolve as a technology, and we need to evolve with it, but we’re not at the Terminator stage, at least not yet.”
Mary Towers, head of AI at the TUC, said AI could be a useful support for creative sector workers, but it should not be taken over to replace human creativity. .
“We need new legislation to ensure that all workers in the arts, including fashion, are consulted and properly compensated when their work or intellectual property is used by AI.” she stated.
“In the UK, we have already seen performers having their images, voices or likenesses replicated by AI technology without their consent. We cannot afford for this to become the norm in other industries. , new regulations are urgently needed to protect worker creativity and copyright.”
I
It's widely agreed that 2023 was a great year for video games. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2… Barely a week has passed without a blockbuster or independent masterpiece appearing.
But behind these accolades there is a sadder and more worrying story. This year also saw widespread layoffs in the industry, a trend that continues into the first weeks of 2024. Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees after acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. .Publisher Embracer Group lay off at least 900 staff
In addition to shutting down veteran British developer Free Radical Design, it has ended activity across many of the company’s studios. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, one of his most successful titles of this decade, has laid off 830 employees.electronic arts 6% reduction in workforce, which equates to approximately 780 jobs. There were similar harrowing stories from Ubisoft, Naughty Dog, Sega, and Unity.Big publishers and small studios alike is affected
Why did this happen? Why is the entertainment industry, said to be worth $180 billion a year, cutting staff at such an alarming rate?
In some cases, there are certain factors that promote redundancy. In the case of Activision Blizzard, one of the reasons is the duplication of roles after the purchase is completed. “Microsoft obviously already had a publishing business, but they bought ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company, and another publishing business,” said James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of GamesIndustry.biz. “The company then acquired two publishing businesses, Activision and Blizzard, which operated somewhat separately. Think about the number of departments that have doubled here, including human resources, public relations, marketing, and accounting. So you end up with a lot of people doing the same job within the same company. This is a case of rationalization.”
Even though Fortnite has been a huge success, the publisher is still cutting back on employee numbers.
Photo: Zuma Press/Alamy
Sweden's Embracer Group is a game publisher that owns 135 studios around the world, including Tomb Raider creator Crystal Dynamics. After a period of accelerated expansion, the company was forced to close developers, cancel games, and make staff redundant. “The company had a very aggressive merger and acquisition strategy, but we now know that it was dependent on outside investment,” Batchelor said. “But last year, deals worth at least $2 billion were reportedly struck by Saudi investors. was canceledThis meant we had to make major adjustments to our plans. Embracer is a classic example of a company that is too big to survive. There are thousands of people working on the Embracer game, but we didn’t have a big seller to sustain that number. ”
However, one event looms large in the background: the new coronavirus pandemic. Interest in video games exploded during lockdown. He had two effects. For one thing, strong sales of titles like “Animal Crossing” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” have boosted revenues and sent stock prices soaring, attracting the attention of outside investors and flooding the industry with money. That means I did it. In response, arrogant publishers commissioned more ambitious projects and hired accordingly.
But the bubble didn't last. Sales declined as lockdowns eased and people continued to live their lives. “We've seen a lot of games canceled over the last few months. I think there are more that we just don't know about,” Batchelor says. “If we cancel a project and focus on a few games that we know will do well for the studio, we will unfortunately be putting the jobs of the people working on the projects that are being scrapped at risk.”
Hyena, one of many games canceled in 2023.
Photo: Sega
The solution for many publishers has been to cut back on riskier projects and focus on “sure-fire” hits, but this may just be perpetuating the cycle. McDonald explains: “Publishers are signing fewer games, development costs are lower, and it takes longer to sign deals, but if you leave them without all the promising games for the next few years, You put yourself at risk.”
Macdonald believes there may be a bandwagon effect. “We're at a stage now where so many studios are having so many layoffs that some companies think it's an opportunity to make layoffs for more specific reasons. , many other studios will be in the spotlight for job losses. It's especially unfortunate that companies with billions of dollars in cash jumped on the bandwagon and made mass layoffs, and that cash It is likely that the interest increase alone could have covered all of these salaries.
Given the gloomy start to 2024, the effects of coronavirus and various acquisitions across the industry are likely to continue to impact the gaming business. And even if it recovers, another threat looms over staff: the rise of artificial intelligence in development and production processes. “We don't know how widely AI tools are being deployed, but there is talk that some reductions are being made in hopes of leveraging AI for content creation.” McDonald says.
The use of AI could be attractive to publishers looking to reduce costs, such as by creating digital caricatures of an actor's voice.
Photo: David O’Donnell/The Guardian
For publishers looking to reduce development costs, the use of AI can be attractive, especially in areas such as quality assurance and performance capture. In January, the Sag-Aftra union criticized An agreement reached with an AI company that will allow actors to create digital images that resemble their voices has sparked an uproar on social media.Starfield and Mortal Kombat actor Sunil Malhotra I wrote to X: “I sacrificed going on strike for half of the last year to keep my profession instead of hoarding AI replicas.”
With their livelihoods threatened, more development staff are seeking to unionize, increasing pressure on the industry to self-regulate. Incumbent publishers are starting to see both as threats. Last June, Electronic Arts Financial Report We have identified unionization and AI regulation as having the potential to negatively impact our business and performance.
So how can newcomers to the gaming industry protect themselves? “At the end of the day, job seekers always have to look out for themselves,” McDonald says. “Check if the company is profitable, has a history of layoffs, and if salaries are sustainable.”
Video game companies also have a responsibility to reflect on the past year and learn from it. But what lessons might they learn?
“I think the industry is going to get more attention and focus on known hits and safer bets,” Batchelor said. “This is unfortunate because the industry still needs to take risks. But ultimately those risks need to be maintained and funded by companies, rather than relying on external investment.”
“As companies become more streamlined and more sustainable, we hope to create a smarter industry.”
Space startup in its second year of establishment orbital aerospace The company wants to become a third-party logistics provider for commerce from Earth to space. And to get there, the company just signed a new contract to validate key technical capabilities of the International Space Station.
The El Segundo, California-based company develops orbital platforms and reentry vehicles that enable mass manufacturing and research in space. In Orbit’s plans are more than a little ambitious. The idea is to host customer factories and laboratories on an orbital platform. An unmanned reentry vehicle would autonomously dock and rendezvous with the platform, and robotic systems would transfer manufactured materials to the vehicle, which would then return the products to Earth.
“Automation and robotics are the backbone of industrial production on the planet,” CEO Ryan Elliott said in a statement. “It should be no different in space.”
It’s a mistake to think that In Orbit is trying to compete with space manufacturing companies like Varda Space and Space Forge, Elliott said in a recent interview. “Their customers and our customers are fundamentally different,” he said. “We handle logistics, on-orbit hosting, [but] We don’t manufacture the materials ourselves. ”
Elliott and his two co-founders, Antonio Coelho and Ishaan Patel, have been driving this effort for just over two years. The company has raised about $2 million to date, and the team is currently raising money to support a demonstration mission in mid-to-late 2026.
For its first mission, the company will work with a satellite bus provider that will host an orbital platform and a subscale version of the reentry rocket. If all goes as planned, the mission will demonstrate transporting material from a host platform to an atmospheric reentry vehicle and back to Earth.
In Orbit has a huge amount of work ahead of it. The company must ensure rendezvous and docking, cargo transfer between the two spacecraft, and reentry processes. Elliott said rendezvous, docking and reentry were particularly challenging.
“There’s so much commercial hardware out there for parachute and heat shield suppliers,” he said. “Simulation and testing are also very difficult. You can’t test reentry in all the different environmental parameters on Earth. The only way to do it is through flight testing.”
The new contract with NASA is part of the company’s efforts to minimize these risks. Under the new Space Law Agreement, In Orbit is partnering with Nanoracks to demonstrate autonomous docking and robotic transport in a zero-gravity environment. Nanoracks, now owned by Voyager Space, has had a commercial presence on the ISS for many years and frequently provides support to newcomers looking to take advantage of the ISS National Laboratory. In-orbit testing will occur in mid-to-late 2025 at the earliest, Elliott said.
On a longer-term scale, In Orbit aims to launch a second mission in 2026 and then partner with a spacecraft provider to set up a manufacturing lab in orbit. The ultimate goal is simply to leave the hardware in space and launch a reentry capsule that rendezvous with and docks with an orbiting platform.
In Orbit expects its core customers to be manufacturers who want to outsource Orbit hosting. Those customers might work with, for example, pharmaceutical or semiconductor companies looking to manufacture products in space.
“The percentage of people who want to manufacture things in space is increasing exponentially,” Elliott said. “There’s a lot of hype around it. NASA is putting more money into it. The Department of Defense is very interested. There’s just more to come.”
meta fuel aims to change the landscape of sustainable jet fuel and has just received an $8 million suitcase from local ZRH baggage carousel 3. Ah, Zurich. The company is literally turning the skies green with a new fuel called Aerobrew. Sure, it might sound like a French press, or even a boomerang, but the company has a few tricks up its sleeve, and it’s a sustainable aircraft made using renewable electricity. We are creating fuel, or eSAF.
The company is focusing on jet fuel as its main product and has purchased tickets to produce jet fuel that complies with aviation standards. That’s a tall order. Fuels must operate in all kinds of harsh environments. From the freezing cold of the highlands and blues to the sweltering heat of the Houston runways and everything in between.
“From fuel handling on the ground to combustion performance at high altitude, operational safety is paramount,” said Leigh Hackett, co-founder and CCO of Metafuels.
The company aims to produce a viable 100% synthetic jet fuel alternative by 2030, which will seamlessly integrate into existing global renewable energy systems and replace traditional fossil fuel supplies. The company claims to offer energy solutions that operate outside the chain. Competitors in this space include LanzaJet.
The new $8 million investment is a major boost to Metafuels’ ambitious plans. The company sees rising costs of conventional fuels, impending environmental taxes and increased stakeholder pressure for sustainability as factors that will offset ISAF’s initial production costs. This round was led by energy impact partner and contrarian venture.
Metafuels’ eSAF technology uses a process developed to convert green methanol to eSAF, enabling a seamless transition from fossil-based kerosene. Methanol is hydrogen (H2) and provide sustainable carbon dioxide. green H2 Can be produced from water electrolysis and CO using renewable electricity2 In the short term, it can be captured from biological sources such as waste and residues. The long term plan is to start direct air capture, which seems nice and poetic to me. It captures gas, puts it into an airplane, flies it through the air, and puts it back into the air.
It could be an interesting stepping stone before battery- or hydrogen-powered planes really take off — the magic of Metafuels’ Aerobrew is that it can fuel aircraft without modification, the company says.
“Once we get past the building blocks of choosing sustainably sourced carbon and hydrogen, we move on to the relatively simple but breakthrough technology of converting those ingredients into jet fuel.” Metafuels Saurabh Kapoor, CEO and Co-Founder of “And because this is a type of kerosene, we can use the same pipelines, infrastructure, storage, transportation and aircraft.”
Builders, bakers, and body conditioners may not be the first professions that come to mind when you think of how AI is changing the way we work. But today, growing interest in the company is driving healthy funding for startups building AI-powered business tools, especially for small businesses and the thousands of other categories that make up the service industry world. announced a funding round. product.
durable — Vancouver, Canada-based startup builds an AI website creator and a host of other AI-powered tools to help small business owners plan, create, and run business apps more easily — Series A We have raised $14 million which will be used to continue expanding our platform and customer base.
This round is not the largest Series A, but it comes with an interesting list of investors. Spark Capital led the round, along with Torch Capital, Altman Capital (a VC founded and managed by Jack Altman, brother of OpenAI’s Sam Altman), Dash Fund, South Park Commons, Infinity Ventures, Soma Capital ( All previous supporters) are participating. are also participating. The startup has now raised a total of $20 million.
Durable’s AI-powered website builder is aimed at people with a very novice online presence and has already been used to create more than 6 million websites since its launch a year ago. That’s what it means.
“We have a lot of traditional companies that have been around for a long time but don’t have an online presence. They don’t have the software, they don’t have the systems. That’s a big part of our customer base. ,” founder and CEO James Clift said in an interview. “Plumbers, skilled craftsmen, personal trainers. A lot of businesses with one to six people don’t have the time or resources to actually build an online presence or create marketing materials.”
Durable will continue to build on that momentum and leverage advances in the world of AI to build more tools for users.
The end goal, Clift said, is an omniscient assistant that not only answers users’ questions, but also proactively suggests ways to run their business better.
Clift said in an interview that a beta version of its “automated proactive assistant” will be released “soon,” likely within about three months.
Based on the different needs of a user’s specific profile (a baker may not want or need the same information as a body conditioner or a builder), we can train it in areas such as taxes. ” he said. “You press a button and your business runs in the background. He texts you once a day, and you have work booked on your calendar, so all you have to do is show up to work.”
Other tools Durable has built to complement its flagship website builder include a CRM platform, an invoicing service, a blog builder, and a precursor to Proactive Assistant, an AI bot that allows users to ask questions relevant to their business. there is. Her AI assistant uses LLM’s OpenAI, among other things.
The gap in the market that Durable is filling is actually a well-known one in the technology world.
Small businesses and sole proprietors have been an elusive target for startups developing business tools. Despite accounting for more than 99% of his total business in markets like we and EnglandSmall businesses are more complex users to litigate because they spend less individually than larger businesses (making ROI per customer harder for vendors) and are generally a fragmented population when it comes to their technology needs. This is a group of
Of course, none of the above is new information in the world of technology. There are dozens of startups and large tech companies targeting small and medium-sized businesses, especially those in the service industry and building apps to manage everything from teams, accounting, banking, payroll, and more.
Clift said Durable’s unique selling point is that it applies advances in AI to problems to bring small business owners and employees into the modern era.
In his view, AI has a democratizing role. First, SMBs now have access to more affordable tools that were previously out of reach. For example, Durable works to create a logo and branding builder for its users, but if that service were provided by a consultancy, it would have been beyond most customers’ budgets.
Second, the use of AI means that Durable itself can scale out its services more easily, avoiding the problems of selling and distributing services to a fragmented customer base.
“Advances in software will allow us to start delivering a ton of value that even last year would only have been available to enterprise customers,” he said. “We can now provide an even better level of service to independent stores who previously couldn’t afford something like this. It’s a very long tail, but it’s a huge market opportunity. .”
Durable turned to OpenAI after gaining access thanks to Altman Capital, which led Durable’s seed round.
“OpenAi has been a great partner from day one,” Clift said. Given the trajectory of OpenAI, which is reportedly working to close a new funding round with a valuation of more than $80 billion, the startup is probably one to watch as it is a close partner with ties to the CEO. right.
“One of the ideas I’m most interested in right now is how we can leverage AI to help founders build products from scratch that are 10x better than anything that exists today. in a space that helps you do it cheaper, faster and more accurately,” Jack Altman told me. “When I met James, I was not only very impressed with him as a founder, but also excited about the potential of what this product could do for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Since our initial investment. , seeing how well he and the team have done only increases my expectations for what Durable will be like.”
“At Spark, we have always pursued founders who challenge the status quo. James and the Durable team are not only doing this uniquely, but also helping entrepreneurs do the same with a frictionless user experience powered by AI. We are also creating a global platform for ,” said Natalie Sandman, general partner at Spark Capital. statement.
summary The fintech company, which provides payments and related services to around 4 million small and medium-sized businesses in Europe, the Americas and Australia, is raising growth capital to navigate the current turbulent fintech market. The thumb-up itself is tilted and shaken.
The London-based startup with German roots has raised €285 million (just under $307 million). The company plans to use the funding to continue growing its business organically and launch more financial services, focusing on card readers and other POS tools, offering invoicing, loyalty, business accounts, and more. is. We also have our sights set on more regions beyond the 36 we currently operate in.
The company will also focus on inorganic growth, namely M&A. The latter is noteworthy. We are currently in a buyer’s market. Fintech startups are experiencing a significantly tighter funding environment, with funding declining 36% globally in the last quarter. According to S&P.
(M&A deals can check several strategic boxes. When SumUp acquired loyalty startup Fivestars in 2021, it gave it an edge in the U.S. and also brought new services to its platform.) (Introduced)
Sixth Street Growth is leading this latest round, with participation from previous backers Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, Fin Capital, and Liquidity Group. SumUp has currently raised approximately $1.5 billion. pitch book data.
Hermione McKee, who was appointed SumUp’s CFO earlier this year, described the round as “mostly equity” but declined to provide a more precise figure. He also declined to discuss SamUp’s specific valuation, but he did note that SumUp has raised 590 million euros (half equity and half debt) in 2022. He said it was more expensive than the dollar.
The company states that it has been “positive on an EBITDA basis since the fourth quarter of 2022” (note: this does not mean it is profitable). And, compared to the previous year, he has achieved “sales growth” of more than 30%.
But on the other hand, there are other signs that business is tough right now. According to SumUp, the company’s customer base is now around 4 million people, which is exactly the same number the company had two years ago.
And today’s funding news comes on the heels of several other volatile data points about the company. It was only a few months ago that Groupon revealed it was selling some of its shares at a valuation of $4.1 billion as part of a larger secondary transaction between existing shareholders. In other words, we were able to sell the company for less than half of its 2022 value.
Meanwhile, the $8.5 billion valuation from 2022 is a significant discount to the 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) that SumUp was aiming to achieve, reflecting how difficult it would be to raise a large equity round. It highlighted that. (And in line with this, the last raise SumUp gave in August was $100 million credit facility. )
Payment technology companies in Europe and the United States also faced increased scrutiny and suffered weak performance.
PayPal and Square, two U.S.-listed companies that directly compete with SumUp, have seen their stock prices and market caps decline since 2022. (PayPal’s stock is now less than $60 a share, down from a peak of nearly $300 a share.) Square and parent company Block are trading at about 25% of their peak. ) Stripe’s valuation famously fell by almost half this year to $50 billion.
Closer to home, listed Adyen has also reported slowing growth and is in financial trouble. But as a measure of how volatile the current market is, and how desperate investors are for signs of good news, Adyen’s mere mention of a turnaround plan (a plan, not an outcome) suggests that the company’s ‘s stock price soared. 30% up.
So far, Klarna and Checkout haven’t been so lucky. Klarna’s valuation fell by around 85% during its last funding round. Checkout was valued at $40 billion when it raised $1 billion in January 2022, but that number has reportedly been lowered since then. 10 billion dollars Internally.
Now 11 years old and one of the largest private payments startups, SumUp relies on a track record of longevity as proof of its stability.
“For more than a decade, SumUp has consistently delivered sustained growth, boldly entering and leading entirely new product categories and markets,” said Nari Ansari, MD of Sixth Street Growth. said in a statement. “This … track record and culture of innovation, combined with SumUp’s thoughtful approach to growth and efficiency, aligns well with Sixth Street Growth’s investment strategy.”
In the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies, industry leaders are optimistic about the beginning of a new bullish phase, with hopes rising for Bitcoin to reach an all-time high of over $100,000 in 2024.
Bitcoin has experienced an impressive rally of over 120% this year alone, and many enthusiasts believe this upward momentum will continue into next year.
Last week, Bitcoin ended around $37,450. Markets have experienced considerable volatility this week in the wake of the US Department of Justice’s settlement with Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The announcement of the settlement and the resignation of Binance’s CEO caused the market to briefly decline, with BTC trading at $35,700 at one point. The negative sentiment was quickly followed by positive news, such as Binance not facing further regulatory action, contributing to a newfound stability in the market.
The start of the new week was marked by BTC trading at a price of $40.665. This year’s highest price has been updated.
2023 looks like it will be the year we prepare for the upcoming bull market. 2024 and 2025 are highly anticipated.
Despite the crypto industry facing challenges such as coin crashes, project failures, bankruptcies, and criminal trials, recent high-profile cases involving exchanges like FTX and Binance have It is seen by some as a turning point. Some industry players believe that the speculative phase is nearing an end, allowing a transition to constructive development and problem-solving in the cryptocurrency space.
The speculative phase appears to be over, leaving room for actual builders to focus on technology and problem-solving.
Attention now turns to positive developments. First, there is excitement about the potential approval of a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). If approved, it could attract larger traditional investors and could be an important milestone in Bitcoin’s mainstream adoption.
The second notable development is the Bitcoin halving scheduled for May 2024. This event occurs every four years and cuts the rewards to miners in half, thereby limiting the supply of Bitcoin. Historically, this has been the catalyst for new rallies in the crypto market.
Investors are closely monitoring these developments, with particular focus on potential ETF approval and the upcoming halving. Mateo Greco, Research Analyst, Listed Digital Assets and FinTech Investment Business Finekia International (CSE:FNQ) pointed out:
“Approval of a US-based Bitcoin Spot ETF is not only likely to bring in capital inflows, but also inject significant liquidity into the market, fostering more stable prices, and opening the doors to digital asset exchanges and digital assets. It has the potential to facilitate more advantageous trading in both financial products that incorporate the ”
Bold predictions for Bitcoin in 2024 have already surfaced, with various ETF endorsements predicting that Bitcoin could reach $100,000 by the end of 2024. This represents a significant 160% increase from the current price.
Moreover, Matrixport, a cryptocurrency financial services company expects the price to reach $63,140 by April 2024 and a whopping $125,000 by the end of next year. Their report highlights factors such as an expected drop in inflation and a possible interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve as factors that could push Bitcoin to new all-time highs in 2024.
As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, industry leaders and investors alike are looking forward to a transformative year full of potential milestones and new heights for Bitcoin.
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