Lifeboat Foundation

As the spread of electric vehicles continues to gain speed across the globe, the electric charging network needs to keep pace with the growing demand. Tesla, the global leader in electric vehicles, has spent millions to expand its supercharging network and the company currently has more than 25,000 supercharging stations across the planet. The EV manufacturer is looking to democratize its superchargers, and in certain regions, you can charge your Porsche Taycan right next to regular Tesla offerings such as the Model 3 and Model S, but some have been experiencing an unpleasant trend in recent times: internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are blocking charging stations. This act is known as “ICEing”, and it has become such an issue in China that Tesla has banded with its customers to come up with an interesting solution.

Daniel Ek, CEO of popular commercial music streaming platform Spotify, invests over $133 million in artificial intelligence-powered defense technology startup Helsing. Daniel made the investment through his funding company named Prima Materia during the Series A funding round of Helsing.

Additionally, Daniel Ek will join Helsing’s board of directors as a part of the investment. Helsing plans to use the newly raised funds to integrate artificial intelligence technology in military equipment and weapons to expand their capabilities.

According to the company, the developed AI-powered equipment will first be made available to French, German, and British militaries. Helsing aims to provide an information advantage to armies of democratic countries with the use of artificial intelligence.

Sony files a patent that could transform how PlayStation games track ‘disruptive behavior’ with a proactive automated system.

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We’re sending a new pair of X-ray eyes into the universe!

NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is our first satellite dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays. Polarized light is made up of electric fields that vibrate in a single direction—and IXPE’s state-of-the-art X-ray vision will help scientists study the spin of black holes, the magnetic fields of pulsars, and other cosmic phenomena.

Continue reading “Watch NASA’s IXPE Observatory Launch Into Space — Official Live Broadcast” »

China is now making every effort to gain silicon independence. According to the plan of the ruling party, by 2025 at least 70% of chips in Chinese products should be local production. A special role in achieving this goal is assigned to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), which is actively developing advanced technologies in the production of semiconductor products.

We talk a lot about electric cars, and it’s evident that engineers are working toward fossil fuel alternatives for our land-based travel. But what about airplanes? In 2019, 18.27 billion gallons of fuel were used by planes. That’s far from carbon-neutral.

Soon though, we could feel less guilty about flying. A team of researchers has created a prototype jet engine that’s able to propel itself forward using only electricity. Their study was published in AIP Advances in May 2020.

Synthesia, a startup using AI to create synthetic videos, is walking a fine, but thus far prosperous, line between being creepy and being pretty freakin’ cool.

Today, it announced the close of a $50 million Series B funding round led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from GV and existing investors Firstmark Capital, LDV Capital, Seedcamp and MMC Ventures.

Synthesia allows anyone to turn text or a slide deck presentation into a video, complete with a talking avatar. Customers can leverage existing avatars, created from the performance of actors, or create their own in minutes by uploading some video. Users also can upload a recording of their voice, which can be transformed to say just about anything under the sun.

Engineers have made bendable solar cells from ultra thin semiconductors—which for all their elasticity still boast a power-per-weight ratio on par with established thin-film solar cells.