By Siôn Geschwindt German startup FibreCoat has bagged €20mn in Series B funding as it looks to bring its super-resistant materials to the burgeoning space industry.  FibreCoat spunout from RWTH Aachen University in 2020. The startup has developed a patented process for coating fibres with metals and plastics during the spinning stage. This creates fibres that are lightweight and conductive, yet strong and durable — at a fraction of conventional costs. These can then be spun together to form reinforced composites.  So far, FibreCoat has focused on securing clients in the automotive, construction, and defence industries, where the materials are particularly useful for…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

AI-generated content accounted for less than 1% of the disinformation fact-checkers linked to political elections that took place worldwide in 2024, according to social media giant Meta. The company cited political elections in the United States, Great Britain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, France, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil, as well as the EU elections.

“At the beginning of the year, many warned about the potential impact that generative AI could have on the upcoming elections, including the risk of widespread deepfakes and AI-powered disinformation campaigns,” Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg wrote. “Based on what we have monitored through our services, it appears that these risks did not materialize in a significant way and that any impact was modest and limited in scope.”

Meta did not provide detailed information on how much AI-generated disinformation its fact-checking uncovered related to major elections.

Source:: Computer World

Apple shops at Amazon.

In this case, it is using artificial intelligence (AI) processors from Amazon Web Services (AWS) for some of its Apple Intelligence and other services, including Maps, Apps, and search. Apple is also testing advanced AWS chips to pretrain some of its AI models as it continues its rapid pivot toward becoming the world’s most widely deployed AI platform.

That’s the big — and somewhat unexpected — news to emerge from this week’s AWS:Reinvent conference.

Apple watchers will know that the company seldom, if ever, sends speakers to other people’s trade shows. So, it matters that Apple’s Senior Director of Machine Learning and AI, Benoit Dupin, took to the stage at the Amazon event. That appearance can be seen as a big endorsement both of AWS and its AI services, and the mutually beneficial relationship between Apple and AWS.

Not a new relationship.

Apple has used AWS servers for years, in part to drive its iCloud and Apple One services and to scale additional capacity at times of peak demand. “One of the unique elements of Apple’s business is the scale at which we operate, and the speed with which we innovate. AWS has been able to keep the pace,” Dupin said.

Some might note that Dupin (who once worked at AWS) threw a small curveball when he revealed that Apple has begun to deploy Amazon’s Graviton and Inferentia for machine learning services such as streaming and search. He explained that moving to these chips has generated an impressive 40% efficiency increase in Apple’s machine learning inference workloads when compared to x86 instances. 

Dupin also confirmed Apple is in the early stages of evaluating the newly-introduced AWS Trainium 2 AI training chip, which he expects will bring in 50% improvement in efficiency when pre-training AI. 

Scale, speed, and Apple Intelligence

On the AWS connection to Apple Intelligence, he explained: “To develop Apple Intelligence, we needed to further scale our infrastructure for training.” As a result, Apple turned to AWS because the service could provide access to the most performant accelerators in quantity. 

Dupin revealed that key areas where Apple uses Amazon’s services include fine-tuning AI models, optimizing trained models to fit on small devices, and “building and finalizing our Apple Intelligence adapters, ready to deploy on Apple devices and servers.. We work with AWS Services across virtually all phase of our AI and ML lifecycle,” he said. 

Apple Intelligence is a work in progress and the company is already developing additional services and feature improvements, “As we expand the capabilities and feature of Apple Intelligence, we will continue to depend on the scalable, efficient, high-performance accelerator technologies AWS delivers,” he said. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed more services will appear in the future. “I’m not going to announce anything today. But we have research going on. We’re pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making,” Cook said.

TSMC, Apple, AWS, AI, oh my!

There’s another interesting connection between Apple and AWS. Apple’s M- and A- series processors are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), with devices made by Foxconn and others. TSMC also makes the processors used by AWS. And it manufactures the AI processors Nvidia provides; we think it will be tasked with churning out Apple Silicon server processors to support Private Cloud Compute services and Apple Intelligence.

It is also noteworthy that AWS believes it will be able to link more of its processors together for huge cloud intelligence servers beyond what Nvidia can manage. Speaking on the fringes of AWS Reinvent, AWS AI chip business development manager Gadi Hutt claimed his company’s processors will be able to train some AI models at 40% lower cost than on Nvidia chips. 

Up next?

While the appearance of an Apple exec at the AWS event suggests a good partnership, I can’t help but be curious about whether Apple has its own ambitions to deliver server processors, and the extent to which these might deliver significant performance/energy efficiency gains, given the performance efficiency of Apple silicon.

Speculation aside, as AI injects itself into everything, the gold rush for developers capable of building and maintaining these services and the infrastructure (including energy infrastructure) required for the tech continues to intensify; these kinds of fast-growing industry-wide deployments will surely be where opportunity shines.

You can watch Dupin’s speech here.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe. 

Source:: Computer World

By Siôn Geschwindt Google Deepmind researchers have built an AI weather forecasting tool that makes faster and more accurate predictions than the best system available today. Dubbed GenCast, the new model outperformed the ENS forecast, widely regarded as the world leader, 97% of the time for predictions up to 15 days in advance. It was tested on over 1,320 weather scenarios, including tropical cyclones and heatwaves. “Outperforming ENS marks something of an inflection point in the advance of AI for weather prediction,” Ilan Price, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, told the Guardian. “At least in the short term, these models are going…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: Google

Source:: The Next Web

By Deepti Pathak Multiplication is one of the most common tasks in spreadsheets, and Google Sheets makes it easy…
The post How To Multiply in Google Sheets? appeared first on Fossbytes.

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By Nick Godt Hyundai remains committed to offering CarPlay and Android Auto, the in-car phone-mirroring apps.

Source:: Digital Trends

By Siôn Geschwindt UK startup PhysicsX, founded by former Formula 1 engineering whizz Robin “Dr. Rob” Tuluie, has unveiled an AI tool that could fast-track the time it takes to design a new aircraft from months to just a few days.  Dubbed LGM-Aero, the software creates new designs for aeroplanes. Using advanced algorithms trained on more than 25 million geometries, the model predicts lift, drag, stability, structural stress and other attributes for each shape. It then tailors the design according to what you want your plane to do. PhysicsX said the AI is the first-ever Large Geometry Model (LGM) for aerospace engineering. A…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

According to a new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), generative AI (genAI) will soon affect work areas previously considered to have a low likelihood of automation, according to The Register.

Automation in the past mainly affected industrial jobs in rural areas. GenAI, on the other hand, can be used for non-routine cognitive tasks, which is expected to affect more highly skilled workers and big cities where these workers are often based. The report estimates that up to 70% of these workers will be able to get half of their tasks done twice as fast with the help of genAI. The industries likely to be affected include education, IT, and finance.

The OECD notes that even if work tasks disappear, unemployment won’t necessarily increase. The overall number of jobs could increase, but those new positions might not directly benefit those who lost work because of automation and new efficiencies.

Source:: Computer World

Download the PDF Computerworld Cheat Sheet today.

Source:: Computer World

By Siôn Geschwindt Microsoft’s cloud ambitions just hit a major snag in the UK. The tech giant is facing a £1bn ($1.27 billion) lawsuit over how it licenses software to customers using rival cloud platforms. Filed in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal by Scott+Scott, the lawsuit accuses Microsoft of punishing businesses for choosing competitors like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Alibaba over its Azure platform. Here’s the gist: if you’re using Microsoft’s Windows Server but prefer another cloud provider, you’re allegedly stuck with higher costs. Maria Luisa Stasi, the lead claimant, argues this forces UK businesses into Azure’s arms and stifles…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: Microsoft

Source:: The Next Web

By Deepti Pathak Google Docs offers simple tools for customizing layouts, colors, and text, making it easy to create…
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By Deepti Pathak Sometimes, you might want to share your thoughts or ask questions on Facebook without attaching your…
The post How to Post Anonymously on Facebook? appeared first on Fossbytes.

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By Siôn Geschwindt A Spanish government-appointed committee of experts has recommended that smartphones sold in the country carry health warning labels. The advice comes amid mounting concern about the effects of smartphone use, particularly among young people.   The experts published their findings in a 250-page report, seen by newspaper El País. The document details ways the government could crack down on what the panel calls a “public health epidemic”.   Proposals include banning digital devices for kids under three and restricting their use for those between three and six, except in rare cases. The report also advises rolling out so-called “dumbphones” for teens up…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

By Siôn Geschwindt PLD Space has secured an €11mn loan to help fund the development of a liftoff site for its partially reusable Miura 5 rocket, which is set to become Europe’s first privately developed satellite launcher — unless one of its competitors gets there first.  The loan will help the Spanish startup construct the launch facility, located at Europe’s primary spaceport in French Guiana and estimated to cost around €16mn overall. PLD Space launched its first, smaller rocket, Miura 1, from Spain last year. However, for a bigger orbital launcher like Miura 5, the company needs a facility with specific capabilities. These…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

Apple has been accused of spying on its employees in a lawsuit filed in a California court.

Among other things, the company is alleged to control staffers’ personal devices and iCloud accounts and requires employees to install special software that allows the tech giant to access their email, image library, and other information. Apple reportedly prohibits its employees from discussing wages and working conditions, according to Reuters.

The lawsuit also charged that Apple discriminates against women, who are allegedly offered lower wages than men in similar positions.

An Apple spokesperson denied the allegations and emphasized that employees receive information about their rights at training sessions every year.

In October, the company was accused by the National Labor Relations Board of violating labor laws.

Source:: Computer World

By Nick Godt Kia confirmed that its futuristic, affordable EV4 sedan will launch in 2025

Source:: Digital Trends

While in these post-CrowdStrike days it is reasonable to think one of the best ways to improve endpoint security in any business is to replace Windows with Apple devices, that’s just the starting point in a serious security journey.

But it’s a pretty good starting point. 

Writing on LinkedIn, Google CISO Phil Venables recently drew attention to his company’s latest cybersecurity report, which quite clearly makes a strong case for the need to purchase products that — like Apple’s — are secure by design.

If you want security, start with security

The report explains: “Organizations don’t need more security products; they need more secure products. That’s one of the key takeaways from our new global cyber security survey. The research reveals that incremental security fixes no longer work. In fact, the more security tools an organization throws at the problem, the worse it gets.”

Supporting that argument, there’s data:

Organizations with 10 or more security tools endure 14 security incidents each year.

Those with 10 or fewer such tools have to weather just six such events.

82% of security decision-makers acknowledge the need to improve security measures.

More than half admit that the complexity of modern work environments hinders their efforts. 

59% say reliance on outdated technology leaves them ill-equipped to handle future security needs.

In other words, one way to halve the number of security incidents your company is exposed to is to rationalize spending on security tools, ensure those tools are effective in protecting the entire attack surface of company operations, and invest in computers, smartphones, and tablets that are secure by design.

Such as those from Apple (and maybe even those from Google).

Away with the clouds

You might also consider recent data that suggests Google Cloud and AWS are more secure than Microsoft Azure — and consider the value of your data as AI heads into the server farms and wraps itself around the globe. (I can’t help but think Apple’s Private Cloud Compute could eventually be a competitor in this space, too.)

Most enterprise decision makers have heard all these arguments before. Facing rapid change, new technology deployments, and multiple waves of digital transformation, they aren’t just time poor, but budget-constrained. In those environments (which is most environments) it feels like the best decision is to continue managing more of the same. 

That means patching together mish-mash networks of systems and solutions and constant investment in teams to manage it all (and the ongoing costs of internal tech support for when those ad hoc systems inevitably go wrong).

But on an increasingly unstable globe, we aren’t in Kansas anymore. The digital frontier is just as important a permiter as any geographical one, and the rising prevalence of nation state-backed attacks from all sides represent this. Business, every business, is now as compelling a target as any government entity in this brave new digi-world. And complacency will have (and is already having) huge impacts worldwide. 

Protecting your health 

The UK’s National Health Service is a frequent victim of ransomware, for example. In part, this is because it remains heavily reliant on clapped out vintage computing equipment due to decades of ideologically inspired attacks against the integrity of the service. 

The truth is that UK infrastructure is pretty much a poster child for how to manage your digital platforms wrong. 

Complacency is a big part of that, with the nation’s National Cyber Security Center head, Richard Horne, about to warn that the UK is unprepared for the looming cyberwar (which some argue has already begun). Years of under-investment, a laissez-faire approach to security, and continued insistence on using legacy technologies have left the nation’s digital underbelly exposed. 

“There is no room for complacency about the severity of state-led threats or the volume of the threat posed by cybercriminals,” Horne plans to say. “The defense and resilience of critical infrastructure, supply chains, the public sector and our wider economy must improve.”

Cyber-physician, heal thyself

While recommending a root-and-branch Mac migration might well seem to be an overly simplified diagnosis to the problem, it is a good starting point. After all, when did you last hear of a security incident impacting Apple’s systems putting global business out of action? 

Never? Why is that? Because Apple’s products are secure by design.

That’s not to say they are perfect. You must still put security policies and procedures in place, deploy secure endpoint management solutions, and ensure employees are fully up to speed with good security practices. 

Just because Macs haven’t fallen victim to a Windows-level cyberattack yet doesn’t mean they never will, so you still need to have action plans prepared and rehearsed to go into effect on the day they inevitably do. But protecting your business by making such a migration is going to make a lot more sense as the cyberwars intensify. 

You need more secure platforms

Even in the UK, IBM estimates the average cost of a data breach on UK businesses as $3.4 million, and while that does depend on the size of your enterprise, that’s the kind of money that makes the seemingly higher one-off investment in a new platform seem aminor in contrast to the consequences of leaving yourselves vulnerable to attack through reliance on patched together solutions with so many built-in security weaknesses your top tech teams struggle to protect them.

You don’t need more security products. You need more secure platforms. That’s the bottom line.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe. 

Source:: Computer World

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