Technology

Google officials introduced an experimental artificial intelligence trained on text and images in May, claiming that it will make web searches more natural. Google provided a look at how technology will transform the way individuals browse the web on Wednesday. Beginning next year, Google consumers will be able to mix text and picture searches using Lens, a mobile phone app that is also integrated into Google and other services. So, for example, one might take a photo of a garment using Lens and then search for “sweaters with this design.” When you search “how to repair” on a picture of a motorbike component, it will bring you video tutorials or blog entries.

Multitask Unified Model (MUM) will be integrated into Google search results to offer other paths for consumers to take. MUM may include step-by-step directions, style lessons, or how to employ handmade materials if you Google search ‘how to draw,’ for example. Google also aims to add MUM to YouTube clips search in the upcoming days, when this AI will surface search recommendations underneath videos based on video transcripts. MUM has been trained to draw conclusions based on text and visuals. Integrating MUM into its search engine results also signals a step forward in the usage of linguistic models that rely on massive quantities of text collected from the web and a type of neural network architecture known as Transformer.

One of the first such attempts occurred in 2019 when Google inserted a linguistic model known as BERT into search results in order to modify web ranks and summarize the content underneath results. New Google technology will power online searches that start with a photo or screenshot and end with a written inquiry. Google’s Vice President Pandu Nayak stated that BERT was the most significant improvement to search results in over a decade, while MUM takes the language comprehension AI used in search engine results to the next level. MUM, for example, utilizes information from 75 languages and not just English, it is trained using images as well as text rather than just text.

When evaluated in terms of the number of variables or interconnections between artificial neurons in a deep learning program, it is 1,000 times bigger than BERT. While Nayak considers MUM to be a significant step forward in linguistic knowledge, he also admits that big language models have recognized problems and hazards. Bias in training data has been proven to be absorbed by BERT and other Transformer-based algorithms. Researchers have discovered that the bigger the linguistic model, the greater the amplification of prejudice and poisonous content. Users trying to discover and modify racist, sexist, and other inappropriate outputs of big language models believe that examining the text used to train these models is essential to decreasing abuse and that the way information is sorted can have an adverse effect. The Allen Institute for AI reported in April that blocklists used in a common data set utilized by Google to prepare its T5 language model can result in the marginalization of entire communities, such as individuals who identify as queer, making it more difficult for linguistic models to understand text written by or regarding those groups.

Based on the material of the transcripts, YouTube videos in search engine results will eventually offer other search ideas. Several Google AI researchers, particularly former Ethical AI team co-leads Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, have stated in the last year that they experienced executive pushbacks to their work demonstrating that big language models may damage individuals. The firing of Gebru following a disagreement over a study critical of the social and environmental implications of big language models sparked accusations of racism, calls for unionization, and the need for greater whistleblower protections for AI ethics experts among Google workers. 5 US senators questioned whether Google services including search or Google’s workplace are suitable for Black individuals in June, citing several cases of algorithmic racism at Alphabet and the ouster of Gebru.

According to a Google spokesman, MUM is trained using high-quality data based on Google’s search quality requirements. Websites may earn low-quality ratings as a result of false or overstated material, or even distracting advertisements. Websites that encourage hatred or violence are also given low ranks. Google, on the other hand, provided no further information regarding the data used to train MUM, nor assurance that the language model did not magnify prejudice or exclude specific populations. Google claims that before making modifications to its search function generally available, it evaluates them on queries involving protected classes of users and does A/B testing with internal search quality reviewers. A software engineer was part of a larger group of academics that developed a series of tests to assess models for rationality, logic, and prejudice earlier this year. However, a Google spokesman declined to comment on whether MUM was subjected to this testing.

The beta testing of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service will be completed in October 2021, although it is not yet clear how it will vary from the present offering. Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of SpaceX, made this forecast early on Friday morning, responding “Next month” to an inquiry from a Canadian gamer who had tweeted the day before that his Starlink terminal is yet to arrive. Musk’s two-word tweet left it unclear how the new Starlink will vary from the beta version, in terms of performance and cost. For those who pay USD 99 a month, a Starlink FAQ says that broadband rates would range from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps, and the latency rate will be between 20 milliseconds and 40 milliseconds. Their site also states that Starlink’s beta product does not have a data limit, testers have noticed that its application also does not indicate total data usage, the organization, and Elon Musk have not responded to queries concerning post-beta use rules. Elon tweeted a beta-exit timeline in mid-April, only a few weeks before Friday’s prediction: “Probably out of beta this summer.” In general, he has managed to undersell Starlink’s promise for overcoming technological barriers, which contrasts sharply with his habit of extolling forthcoming advancements in self-driving capabilities of Tesla’s electric vehicles, only to have them arrive late and disappoint.

Elon Musk stated that Starlink is “really designed for sparsely inhabited regions”, that is, areas that are outside the scope of conventional cellular service. “We should have a worldwide connection for everything, except the poles beginning this August,” he added. Musk told his audience to anticipate “pretty substantial collaborations” with telecom providers in other nations that would utilize Starlink to reach users outside their cellular networks, but no such arrangements have been revealed. Musk told guests at the Satellite 2020 event in Washington, D.C. in March, “It’s not like Starlink is some enormous danger to telecom companies.” MoffettNathanson, a market research firm, acknowledged in an April note, stating that although Starlink might be a “significant factor to helping to overcome the digital gap in the United States,” capacity restrictions would prohibit it from becoming a “meaningful rival to terrestrial alternative solutions.” In a review published in May, Starlink had swiftly built out its network of tiny satellites since a February 2018 test launch of two demonstration Starlink satellites, sending 60 at a time to orbits around 340 miles up using SpaceX’s partially-reusable Falcon 9 rockets.

According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are already 1,658 Starlink satellites in operation; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed a maximum of 4,408 for its first stage, with tens of thousands more queued-up for conceivable future launches. Starlink will face intense competition from two additional Low-Earth-orbit constellations, one of which is nearing completion and the other of which is yet to be launched. After rebounding from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case with a significant investment from the United Kingdom government, the London-based business “OneWeb” recently completed its 10th launch using disposable Russian Soyuz rockets to place 322 satellites in orbit. Back in the United States, Amazon’s Project Kuiper received FCC clearance in July 2020 for a 3,236-satellite network. According to the terms of the agreement, Kuiper must have 50% of them operational by July 30, 2026. Even though Amazon founder Jeff Bezos runs a rocket business, Blue Origin, its in-development and semi-reusable New Glenn rocket will not get Kuiper off the ground. Instead, in April, the firm established a partnership with United Launch Alliance under which its first 9 launches will be carried out on disposable Atlas V rockets.  Kuiper has submitted FCC objections to Starlink’s proposals, arguing that the agency has allowed it undue freedoms.

The clubhouse has announced to launch of a new feature for audio recording. The popular audio chat platform said that the new feature fulfills the long pending demand of creators. They were asking for easier ways to record and share conversations. The feature will be called ‘replays’. It is an in-app feature. The company said that it can record a room with the help of features. They can save it to their profile and club. Users can even download the recorded content. According to Clubhouse, creators and moderators will have the right to the audio recording. They will also have the right to on and off the feature. The rooms will be recorded only when they are public.

Clubhouse said that users can do full recordings. Besides, they can also create 30 seconds long clips. The clips will be shareable in rooms. Speakers joining the rooms will get a notification the recording feature has been enabled. Clubhouse said that the feature will let users share memorable moments from the rooms. It will also help the company in growing audiences. The company said that it has plans to launch a more extensive feature for recording rooms. Clubhouse previously didn’t offer an in-app feature for record conversations. Users had to rely on a third-party app for recording.

The clubhouse has also announced a search feature. Users can search for rooms, clubs, users, and bios by just typing a name or keyword. Besides, the company has started rolling out spatial audio to Android. It was initially made available to iOS devices. The audio chat app had last month introduced a new way to invite users to chats. The feature is called Wave. Users just need to tap a waving hand emoji to invite friends to a live audio room. Clubhouse said that the new features will enhance the user experience by making conversations more meaningful, engaging, and fun. The clubhouse is an invite-only platform that lets people talk in real-time across the world. It was launched in April last year.

Netflix is working on war footing to cement its position in the gaming industry. The streaming service provider has launched five titles under its new ‘Game’ tab. Now the company has acquired its first gaming studio. It has acquired Night School Studio which is known for titles like ‘Oxenfree.’ Mike Verdu, vice president of game development at Netflix, said that the proven track record of Night School Studio makes them the best choice for the company. “The artistic excellence of the studio in the field of gaming industry makes it an invaluable partner. We are working to build the library of games for Netflix together,” Verdu said.

Verdu also said that the company is planning to add exclusive games that will be included with its membership. These games would be designed for every kind of gamer with different levels to suit their need. These games will have not ads or in-app purchases. The first mobile games are currently available for Netflix subscribers exclusively in Europe. Also, the game can be only played on Android smartphones and devices. It is important to mention that subscribers cannot play games within the Netflix app. Users will have to download the Netflix-exclusive games after they are directed on the Google Play Store. Users can download the apps available in their reason as they normally do with other gaming apps.

Sean Krankel and Adam Hines had founded the Night School Studio in the year 2014. While Krankel was a former designer at Disney Interactive, Hines was a lead writer at Telltale Games, which was a partner of Netflix and they worked together on interactive shows before being shut down. In a statement posted on the site of Night School, Krankel said that Netflix is giving game makers a canvas where they can create games to entertain millions of people. Krankel also assured fans of Oxenfree and other titles of the studio that they will continue to work on Oxenfree II and other games.

NASA is going forward with plans to include competitiveness in the construction of Artemis Moon landers. The space program stated this week that it has chosen 5 US businesses to do extra work towards developing lunar lander ideas that would send individuals to the surface of the moon later on this decade. The total value of the awards was USD 146 million, with work scheduled to be finished over the course of the next 15 months. Blue Origin Federation (USD 25.6 million), Dynetics (USD 40.8 million), Lockheed Martin (USD 35.2 million), Northrop Grumman (USD 34.8 million), and SpaceX (USD 9.4 million) are among the selected contenders.

As per NASA, each one of these firms will continue to explore lander design concepts as well as analyze the landers’ efficiency, architecture, mission assurance requirements, and other factors. The businesses will also reduce the risks associated with the lunar landers by completing essential component testing and increasing the development of critical technologies. “A key Artemis objective is to build a long-term human settlement on the Moon through recurrent services utilizing lunar landers,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA’s chief of human spaceflight. “This crucial step provides the groundwork for US leadership in knowing more about the Moon, as well as understanding how to reside and operate in deep space for future missions deeper into the Solar System.”

The grants came approximately 5 months after NASA chose SpaceX to improve its Starship vehicle for a test Moon landing and eventual crew landing. NASA intended to pay two suppliers in April, however, Congress only authorized one-quarter of the funds requested. So, over the course of 5 years, SpaceX received a total amount of USD 2.89 billion. NASA announced plans to buy “repeat landing services” from American corporations to maintain a competitive atmosphere. After SpaceX’s test missions, this contract will fund operational outposts to the lunar surface.

The awards issued this week will “ultimately assist, define strategy and criteria for a future NASA’s Request for Proposal (RFP) to offer regular human transportation from the lunar orbit to the moon’s surface,” according to NASA. Congressional funding will decide the amount of future “recurring services” grants. Following SpaceX’s selection in April, the other two contenders for a lunar lander contract, the Blue Origin-led National Team, and Dynetics, filed a complaint with the US Government’s Accountability Office. That objection was refused, and Blue Origin had subsequently sued NASA in the United States Court of Federal Claims to have the contracts overturned. This debate is still ongoing. The group of national teams will likely remain intact as long as there is a possibility to secure the original contract, which was granted only to SpaceX. If that effort fails, the national team’s members are ready to go their own ways. The 15-month timeframe will allow them to consider alternative options.

Twitter is apparently the first major social media platform that is encouraging the use of cryptocurrency. This is because the microblogging site has now allowed users to tip their favorite creator using Bitcoin. The company introduced the Tips feature earlier this year. The feature so far has allowed users to pay tips to their favorite creators via third-party payment services and platforms. The feature was initially made available to a small group of iOS users in the United States. But it has now been expanded globally. Moreover, the company is also adding more payment services.

Tips, which was initially called Tip Jar, will be soon rolled out for all users. Twitter has not fixed any date but has confirmed that the feature will be first made available to users on the iOS platform and later on for Android users. While initially users were allowed to tip with fiat currency with the help of more traditional payment services such as Venmo and Cash app. The company is now integrating Strike Bitcoin lighting wallet which will allow creators to receive tips in Bitcoin. Twitter said that it would allow users to add their Bitcoin address to the profile and then receive or send these cryptocurrency tips.

It is pertinent to mention that the microblogging site does not take a cut on the amount sent through this feature. The step to integrate Bitcoin is not at all surprising considering the fact Twitter chief executive officer Jack Dorsey has been one of the most vocal supporters of cryptocurrency. Dorsey even tweeted that he is trying his hand at Bitcoin mining. Dorsey said that he doesn’t find anything more important than working on Bitcoin. Additionally, Twitter has been working on recognizing Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs. This will allow users to authenticate their collections of NFT on the social media platform. Besides, Twitter has also announced that it would soon launch creator funds for those who host Spaces audio rooms.

Emojis let to express your feelings and emotions without typing a single word. Emojis also make messaging more fun. This is going to be more fun as several new emojis will be soon added to smartphones. The two prominent emojis among them would be a pregnant man and a pregnant gender-neutral person. Reports suggest that around 37 new emojis would be added to play with. The new emoji icons will be soon added as part of the Emoji 14.0 update. There would be a range of other inclusive illustrations covering all genders and skin tones.

The proposal to add new pregnancy emojis was first announced earlier this year. Both the emojis are similar to the emoji of a pregnant woman already available for users. Both the man and a gender-neutral person can be seen having their hands clasped over their baby bumps. While the man can be seen with a little mustache, the gender-neutral person has mid-length hair. Apart from this, the updates also include characters representing a royal person, melting face emoji, multiracial handshake, and others. The changes will give users more options to express their feelings with the help of emojis.

The addition of new emojis is an effort to make it look more neutral. This is apparently the Unicode Consortium had added a woman with a beard. It must be noted that these emojis are yet to get final approval and some of them are likely to change before that. Earlier in 2020, the consortium had said that version 14.0 would be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Emojis have always been an integral part of messaging platforms and every company works on its own to make them better. Recently, Microsoft had announced that it would redesign its around 1800 emojis. The tech giant had also said that its paper clip emoji would be swapped with its assistant Clippy. Meanwhile, it is pertinent to mention that a study published by Adobe revealed that ‘laugh out loud’ it the most popular emoji in the world.

Harley-Davidson has announced that its retro-inspired electric bikes would go on sale later this year. The announcement comes almost a year after the iconic two-wheeler manufacturer said that it is planning to spin out its own e-bike company. Harley-Davidson had said that it would name the company Serial 1. The electric bikes would be available for sale in limited numbers only. The company had initially said that these vintage-inspired models were just a ‘styling exercise.’ The e-bike S1 Mosh/Tribute is basically the company’s way to pay homage to ‘Serial Number One’. It was the oldest know motorcycle built by the American motorcycle manufacturer in 1903.

The design of the e-bike is almost similar to its first prototype. I will have a sleek black frame with gold littering, leather saddle, and handgrips along with its white tires. The bike, however, has a lot of similarities with Mosh/Cty model. Mosh/Cty is the entry-level model of Serial 1. Talking about the similarity, they both have Gates Carbon Drive belt, TRP hydraulic disc brakes along with integrated lighting and internally routed cables. While the white-toned Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires are only available for Serial 1 exclusively. The other highlights of the Mosh/Tribute model are that it has a leather saddle and matching grips that are handmade from Brooks England.

The update will surely bring smiles to the faces of potential customers who were disappointed when the company had in October 2020 refused to make it clear that whether the prototype would go into production. This is also an indication Harley-Davidson is leaning into its motorcycle roots. The company is now relying more on such limited editions and exclusive one-offs. This is happening as the electric bike market is getting crowded with every passing day. There is a lot of competition in this market and Harley-Davidson doesn’t want to stay behind. The company has recently said that it would soon launch e-bikes under its 1-Off series brand name.

Fitbit has announced to launch a new feature to detect snoring and background sounds. The company is rolling out the Noise and Snore detection feature for its smartwatches. It will give users insights into snoring and other sounds. Users will require enabling the feature. For this, they will have to go to the Sleep page on Fitbit’s app. The feature will use the microphone of the device. The company has added a ‘Check for snoring‘ card on the Sleep page. Enabling it will activate the feature. Users can learn more about the app by visiting the ‘Learn more’. According to Fitbit, the app will record two metrics. These are Sound intensity and Snoring events. Fitbit was acquired by search engine giant Google in January this year.

Fitbit said that the microphone of the device will record noise-related information in the environment. It will collect data when Fitbit detects that the user is asleep. Fitbit will make a recording by analyzing the noise level. The feature will also record information of other people in the room. The device won’t distinguish among people who are snoring in a room. It means that Fitbit will start recording sounds if it was not from the person wearing the device in a common room. Fitbit will, however, make efforts to differentiate between snoring and other sounds once it detects a louder noise above the baseline level. Users can disable the Noise and Snore detection feature by going to Settings.

The new feature will let users hear the ambient noise. Fitbit has also rolled out an update for its app on the Play Store. The company said that the new feature will affect the device’s battery capacity as it will use the microphone. The company has recommended that users should keep their device’s battery charge at 40 percent before using the feature. Users can delete the snoring and other sounds at any time. Fitbit said that the new feature will help in diagnosing the medical conditions of individuals and proper treatment. Google after acquiring Fitbit had said that it will work towards making health and wellness accessible to people.

Transferring WhatsApp chat from iOS to Android is now a reality. The company has announced to roll out new support for the same. It allows users to migrate chats. The company said that users can transfer their chat history when they switch from iOS to Android devices. This is, however, restricted to Samsung Android devices. Notably, Samsung at its Unpacked event had announced the feature. For now, WhatsApp didn’t allow users to transfer chats when they switch from one OS to another. This resulted in losing the chat data. According to WhatsApp, users can transfer only during the initial setup. It said that the new device should be factory new.

WhatsApp earlier allowed users to store their chat. Users can transfer chat through its cloud backup feature. But iOS and Android chat histories were stored differently. The feature stored iOS chat histories in iCloud. Android’s histories were stored in Google Drive. This didn’t allow transferring chat on devices running on different OS. When users switched from iOS to Android or vice-versa, they could not transfer their chat. They were able to transfer chats only between phones that are running the same OS. The company said that besides moving chat and chat histories of both individuals and groups, users can also transfer account information, profile photo, and media.

WhatsApp said that old iPhone owners should need to run the instant messaging app’s version 2.21.160.17 or above to enjoy the transfer chats feature. The new Samsung devices should run the app’s 2.21.16.20 Android version or above. Also, Samsung’s new device should have the SmartSwitch app installed. The app’s version 3.7.22.1 or above is required for migrating chats. Users will also need USB-C and Lightning cables. The chart transfer will take place via these two. Users will need to complete the activation of the new device once the transfer is finished. Users will then be able to see the chats. Notably, the ability to transfer chat was a long pending demand by the users.

The stage is set for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. The US space agency NASA has developed the observatory. Astronomers are hopeful that the James Webb Space Telescope will open a new era of discovery. NASA has announced that the telescope will be launched on December 18. NASA has spent USD 10 billion to develop the telescope. It will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope is bigger than the Hubble. The Hubble telescope was launched in 1990. It operates in low Earth orbit. It has provided spectacular views of the cosmos since then and helped in solving space mysteries. NASA has described it as the world’s most complex space telescope.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a joint project by NASA, ESA, and CSA. The telescope will be shipped from California to Europe’s French Guiana. It will lift off aboard Ariane 5 rocket. The observatory is touted to be the most powerful space telescope ever developed. It can look back in time. According to NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope can see the first stars. It can detect infrared. The Hubble telescope also can detect infrared but to a limited extent. Astronomers believe that the James Webb Space Telescope will open new avenues of investigation for scientists to understand the Universe and search for alien worlds.

The James Webb Space Telescope completed its final tests in August. NASA had earlier targeted to launch it in March 2021. It pushed the date to October and later to December. The US space agency said that the dates were postponed due to the pandemic. NASA said that the telescope will be a major turning point in humans’ science journey to understand the Universe and its origin. The telescope will not operate in low Earth orbit just like the Hubble. It will travel for a month to reach its orbital location in space. The location is approximately one million miles away from Earth. It will start scientific operations around six months after launch.

Tech giant Apple is planning to release iPhone 13 lineup. The company will introduce a set of new features. The iPhone maker has hinted that it could launch a new MagSafe charger. A new filing said that the charger will come with an updated design. Apple has got MagSafe charger listed on Federal Communications Commission’s website. This has made it evident that Apple could bring a new MagSafe charger at iPhone 13 launch event. The latest design will the charger a new look from the existing units. The filing said that Apple has tested the upcoming MagSafe charger with at least eight different iPhone models. This could be a new big feature of the iPhone 13.

Apple had last year introduced the ‌MagSafe‌ charger with ‌iPhone 12‌ models. It can charge at a maximum of 15 Watts. The MagSafe charger is designed by Apple to provide a quick and safe wireless charging facility. The aligned magnets are attached to iPhone. It provides faster wireless charging. It was first announced in October last year when Apple released iPhone 12 lineup. Apple’s filing said that the new MagSafe charger will provide even greater speed for charging iPhone 13 models. The MagSafe charger for iPhone 13 models will very likely work almost similar to iPhone 12’s. Reports say that Apple could bring a wireless charger that is compatible with both lineups.

The iPhone maker will launch a new series next week. The pre-orders will begin on September 17. The new models will go on sale at retail stores from September 24. The new series will have four models on the lines of the iPhone 12. While iPhone 13 Mini will sport a 5.4-inch display, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro will come with a 6.1-inch display each. The iPhone 13 Pro Max will have a 6.7-inch display. Apple is likely to offer larger batteries and next-gen A15 chips in all four models. All the devices will be 5G compatible. All four models will sport the LiDAR sensor. Apple has hinted that it will also offer satellite communication connectivity. This will help users to make calls and send messages without having cellular coverage.

Samsung’s new foldable smartphone Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the first to challenge conventionally designed phones. In terms of processing power, it is identical to the Galaxy S21, which was introduced earlier this year. Reminiscent to Samsung’s previous flagships, the screen operates at a flawless refresh rate of 120Hz. According to reports, it’s built with a new, more robust material and is IPX8 water-proof, just as expected from a modern smartphone manufacturer. The last benefit is that the Z Flip 5G starts at USD 1,000, USD 450 cheaper than the Z Flip 5G it succeeds. Those prices bring the Flip 3 on par with several high-end non-folding smartphones. Nonetheless, there are a few areas where it falls short of conventional phones.

The notion of a foldable phone is unique.  For the first time, a folding smartphone that is not exclusively for initial enthusiasts can attract even mainstream users. Unlike the original Galaxy Flip as well as the Flip 5G, which were released last year, the Flip 3’s appearance is essentially unchanged. Unlike the Galaxy Fold line, the objective of this foldable smartphone is not to transform a regular phone into a tablet instead to do the contrary: turn a huge smartphone into something which fits easily in a user’s pocket. The Flip 3 has a 6.7-inch display, but when folded, it is about the size of a wallet.

The Flip 3 model functions at a 120hz refresh rate and has an aspect ratio of 1080 pixels per inch only when unfolded. It has the same quick touch response, vivid colors, deep blacks, and seamless scrolling as Samsung’s previous OLED displays. As a result, it’s easier to see in the sunlight and looks excellent when watching a video. In terms of speed and quality, it is on pace with other flagship devices. However, besides the Flip 3’s larger 9:22 aspect ratio, it operates like every contemporary smartphone. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 CPU, as well as 8GB of RAM power, the Galaxy Flip 3’s performance is equal to any other new smartphone introduced this year, including the Galaxy S21. The Flip 3’s lens setup is possibly the place where Samsung has made a minimal improvement. This year’s Flip 5G has the same 12-megapixel regular, wide, and ultra-wide back cameras as last year’s Flip 5G, as well as a 10-megapixel front-facing camera. The Z flip is expected to disrupt the conventional smartphone market to a certain extent. Info about the smartphone market is publically available on a wide range of analytical forums.

After the Taliban’s annexation of Afghanistan, Facebook announced on Thursday that they are introducing additional steps to safeguard susceptible individuals. According to a tweet by Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s director of cybersecurity policies, the company’s employees have been operating throughout August to do what they can to protect the security of its customers. As of July 2021, there are roughly 4,668,700 Facebook users in Afghanistan, accounting for approximately 11.8 percent of the country’s total inhabitants. Males make up the majority of these users (82.6%). The greatest disparity between males and females is in the age group 25-34, wherein men outnumber women by about 1,400,000 in number.

Since assuming control over Afghanistan, the Taliban has attempted to project a much more civilized image, although stories of violent attacks and deaths have weakened those attempts. Taliban gunmen have killed a relative of a DW journalist and have seriously wounded another of his family members. The Taliban are going door to door in an attempt to locate the reporter, who now operates in Germany. The social media platform is adding a function that allows individuals to lock down their accounts with a single click, prohibiting people outside of their circle from accessing their display photos or viewing their uploads.

Gleicher laid out Facebook’s objectives in a number of tweets. In order to safeguard Afghan Instagram users, he claimed the corporation is handing out notifications. In Afghanistan, individuals will no longer be able to browse or explore their friends’ lists on Facebook profiles, in order to prevent individuals from getting targeted.

After Joe Biden stood by his commitment to remove the US military, and stop a 2-decade-long conflict, the Taliban immediately took command of Afghanistan this month. The US has hastened the evacuation of thousands of individuals by cargo planes. New features on the social media platform were built using inputs from activists, reporters, as well as civil society organizations. Facebook has set up a dedicated operations center to deal with emerging concerns as they surface. Taliban is expected to take an extremely undemocratic action towards internet freedom, which is anticipated to hinder the usage of social media in the country significantly. Data regarding the social media market in the Middle East is widely available on various research platforms, if you wish to find more information, get in touch.

Elon Musk revealed during Tesla’s AI Day on Thursday, 19 February 2021, that the organization is working on developing a commercially available humanoid robot and would have a prototype model by next year. It will be designed to help deal with a job that is tedious, repetitive, and potentially harmful. It is unclear if or not this robot will be available for sale, or how much it will cost. A screen will be placed where a human face is to convey helpful info. This robot, according to Musk, will have a substantial economic impact. Physical labor will be optional in the future, he claimed, and a basic universal income will be required.

Musk is one of the most influential Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and has warned that automation may replace countless individuals’ employment, necessitating the creation of a new stream of money for certain individuals. Humanoid robots have long piqued people’s interest in popular culture. However, building a humanoid robot capable of doing human jobs has proven to be extremely challenging. Machine learning has progressed quickly, yet it still stutters to even compete with a toddler’s overall abilities. Robotics implementations have traditionally been limited to activities such as moving products at a plant or cleaning a house on its own.

Musk’s groundbreaking efforts at Tesla & SpaceX have thrown the automotive and aerospace sectors into disarray. However, he has a track record of chronic lateness and overpromising, Musk has not had much luck with his previous claims. Tesla’s automated driving system is being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as 2 US Senators who have urged the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether Tesla’s advertising of the technology is fraudulent. The humanoid, according to Musk, is an offshoot of Tesla’s efforts towards autonomous vehicles. The robots will utilize the exact processing chip as Tesla’s automobiles and will operate using 8 sensors. The humanoid will be 5’8” tall, weighing 125 pounds. According to Musk, it will be able to carry up to 45 pounds and travel at a speed of 5 miles per hour. Elon stated that Tesla will give the robot 5 fingers, to begin with, however, that this could vary.

Tesla intended to prove it is more than just an electric vehicle manufacturer, Musk stated at Tesla’s AI Day. Numerous staff members also gave presentations concerning Tesla’s artificial intelligence capability, which is crucial for the development of self-driving vehicles and humanoid robots. Elon also teased that the robots would be human-friendly. Robots have a wide variety of applications in the global industrial sector, all information regarding the same is abundantly available on various research forums. However, the demand for a humanoid robot in the global markets is still uncertain.

The much-awaited James Webb Space Telescope is now ready. NASA said that engineers have completed the final testing of the telescope. The testing was successful. The long-spanning comprehensive testing was done at the facilities of aerospace and defense firm Northrop Grumman. NASA said that engineers are now preparing to move James Webb Space Telescope to its launch site. The preparation is likely to be completed in September. The telescope will be launched in November or December year. NASA had earlier decided to launch the telescope in October. But the agency recently pushed back the launch date. NASA had previously set March as the deadline to launch the telescope. But some technical challenges and the pandemic forced the agency to postpone the date.

James Webb Space Telescope is touted to be the most advanced telescope. It will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope. The space agency said that the telescope is at a major turning point ahead of the launch date. NASA said that the new instrument will give a push to the astrophysics mission. It said that the dedicated workforce completed the work within time despite multiple challenges. The teams will continue to check its parts and the communications network as shipment work gets underway. Launch rehearsals are being done to iron out challenges if any. The telescope will lift off from French Guiana aboard Ariane 5. Ariane 5 is a European launch vehicle. The James Webb Space Telescope is a result of the contribution of thousands of scientists, engineers, and professionals from other walks of life from more than 14 countries.

NASA said that the spacecraft will be separated from Ariane 5 after 26 minutes of the ride. The spacecraft will take nearly one month time to reach the telescope’s orbital location. The telescope will not be in orbit around the Earth like the Hubble Space Telescope. It will be located at a distance of nearly one million miles from Earth and orbit the Sun. The telescope will begin its scientific operations six months after the launch date. According to NASA’s claim, James Webb Space Telescope is the largest, most complex, and powerful telescope ever built by any agency in the world. The agency is hopeful that it will solve the mysteries of the solar system and provide a view of other worlds in the universe.

Popular Chinese app TikTok is planning to introduce augmented reality (AR) effects on the platform. TikTok is a video-sharing platform. It has its own AR ambitions. The company is now working on creative tools. The company wants to take on rivals like Snap and Facebook. It has launched a new creative toolset. It is testing the toolset in the beta version privately. The toolset is called TikTok Effect Studio. The toolset will allow developers to build AR effects. TikTok is inviting developers to sign up to get early access. TikTok’s decision to build an AR development platform assumes significance as Lens Studio of Snapchat and Spark AR Studio of Facebook are growing.

TikTok has launched a new website for this. On the portal, the company under the title Effect House is providing a form to the developers. They have to fill in the details including information about the TikTok account. Besides, developers will have to share information like level of experience and samples of their work to get access. It is also asking if developers are using a Mac or PC. TikTok said that the project is in the initial stage and is limited to a few markets which include the US. TikTok didn’t share any time frame for making the toolset available broadly. When launched publicly, TikTok users will be able to use the AR effects in their videos.

TikTok’s AR effects will help the company to match its rivals. It expects an increase in the user base as new AR campaigns are in the fashion. TikTok current offers filters of which music is a part. It is likely that music to play a part in the new creative toolset. The short-video platform was the most downloaded social media app in 2020. It surpassed Facebook’s numbers to grab the first position. TikTok is popular among youngsters. Its popularity increased manifolds during the pandemic. The platform was launched in 2016 by ByteDance. The international version of TikTok was launched in 2017. It has more than 650 million active users on the monthly basis.

Space radiation is very dangerous. Exposure to it could pose risk to life. Space radiation has a sufficient amount of energy that can affect the DNA and cause damages to a cell. This can lead to a series of serious health problems and its effects could be experienced in a long term. Therefore, astronauts need to shield themselves from space radiation when they are in space. To protect astronauts from the risk of exposure to radiation at the International Space Station, NASA has developed a technique that will protect the rotating laboratory from harmful rays. The ISS experiences radiation as it flies in the low Earth orbit. Notably, the space radiation is greater at higher latitudes.

The ISS is inclined nearly 51 degrees as it circles the Earth. It is exposed to more radiation than space shuttles. A space shuttle flies at 28 degrees and faces less radiation than the ISS. NASA researchers said that the new technique will help in predicting the radiation risk while planning future space missions. Researchers said that there are three main sources of space radiation. They originate from particles shot during solar flares; that are trapped in the magnetic field of Earth, and galactic cosmic rays generated outside the solar system. Researchers are studying how ISS astronauts’ DNA responds when they are exposed to Earth radiation and during spaceflight. Researchers will measure the changes in their chromosomes to determine the level of risk.

Researchers believe that several factors including age and sex also have a role in this. This will help astronauts to find methods and develop techniques to protect them from space radiation. Researchers measured the baseline chromosomal status of astronauts before they flew to the ISS. They examined blood cells to get the status. These blood cells were then exposed to gamma-ray. This provided an opportunity to measure the chromosomal changes. Researchers again collected blood samples from the astronauts after their return from the ISS to measure alterations in the chromosome. They discovered a higher level of irregularities in the baseline chromosome of older astronauts than the younger members.

Twitter is rolling out new updates for Spaces. Spaces is an audio chat service by the microblogging site. It allows users to host live audio chats. The company said that Spaces will soon get more options. This includes new rules for participants and also an option for replay in a live conversation. At present, the features are under development. The features were recently discovered in Twitter’s code. Twitter Spaces is likely to get four new options. The options will give more control to hosts over the audio chat room. Twitter also wants a proper set of rules to be in place for those using Spaces services.

Twitter has hinted that the new rules will have a separate section for hosts. They can use this section to define what content the participants can and cannot say during the live chat on Spaces. Twitter is also developing a block option. This will allow users to restrict some users from joining a live chat. They can limit the conversation to certain users. This will help them to filter a specific group of users. Twitter will also add a replay feature. It will allow users to check the duration of a conversation and also see the participants.

Notably, Twitter has no replay-like feature currently. It doesn’t allow users to listen to a conversation again. A user can join Spaces only when the conversation is lively. Twitter will make the replay an optional feature. When the replay is enabled, users will be able to check how long the chat lasted and the list of participants. Twitter has been updating its audio chat service consistently. It projects Spaces as a competitor to Clubhouse. The Clubhouse was launched in April 2020 and Twitter Spaces in November. It is a platform that is based on voice. Users can talk and listen in real-time. Twitter allows accounts with a minimum of 600 followers to host an audio conversation. Twitter recently rolled out a web version of Spaces on the desktop and mobile. Twitter Spaces was earlier available via apps on iOS and Android.

China has described its Mars exploration mission as a complete success. The announcement came after the rover completed its planned exploration tasks on the Red Planet. China’s Mars exploration mission is named Tianwen-1. The name of the rover is Zhurong. This is China’s first Mars exploration mission. The mission was launched in July 2020. The probe entered into the Martian orbit in February this year. The probe circled the planned to identify a landing site for Zhurong. The rover landed on the planet’s surface on May 14. It touched down at Utopia Planitia which is a large plain. Zhurong is the first Mars rover to land on another planet. It has since then sent several photographs of the Red Planet.

According to Zhurong’s designer, the rover achieved a milestone in the last 90 Martian days. It has reached the initial working target. The rover is still in healthy condition. It is fastly moving ahead on the surface. The rover is continuing with the exploration task. The rover has covered a distance of 889 meters in the last three months. The orbiter is also in good condition. Both the orbiter and rover are providing vital data. Chinese researchers said that the mission has helped them to learn more about the Earth’s neighbor that is believed to have hosted Earth-like life. China is hopeful that Tianwen-1 will allow scientists to develop and determine the path for future missions that include landing astronauts on the planet and deep space exploration.

According to China, both the orbiter and rover have collected 420 gigabytes of data. This includes visuals of land, analysis of Martian soil, and the atmosphere. The probe will allow scientists to understand the planet’s atmosphere in a better way. The Martian atmosphere is very thin. The temperature drops to minus 50 degrees Celsius in some parts. The solar outage is a big challenge on mars. The sunlight is the main source of energy for the rover’s battery system. The cold and little sunlight could affect its communication system. By mid-September, Mars and Earth will be farthest apart as the Sun will be between the two planets. Sun’s radiation could pose a difficulty in sending and receiving signals from the orbiter and rover.