Innovation/ Technology

Elon Musk is seeking to raise a billion dollars for his xAI artificial intelligence company that he hopes will compete with ChatGPT’s Open AI. An official filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday said the company that Musk created earlier this year had already gathered $134.7 million and plans to raise $1 billion overall. The filing added that there was a firm agreement to raise the full funds needed to meet the target, indicating that Musk may have deals in place for the full billion. Musk last month offered a preview of his company’s ChatGPT-like chatbot, called “Grok,” which he said was trained on data from X, formerly Twitter, that Musk bought for $44 billion a year ago. The wealthy entrepreneur and founder of electric carmaker Tesla started xAI i...

Personal genetics firm 23andMe on Tuesday confirmed that hackers using stolen passwords accessed the personal information about 6.9 million of its members. While the hackers were only able to get into about 14,000 accounts, or 0.1% of its customers, they were able to see information shared by genetically linked relatives at 23andMe, a spokesperson said in reply to an AFP inquiry. 23andMe is in the process of notifying affected customers and has hardened account security by requiring users to reset passwords and set up a second authentication method such as sending a temporary code to a mobile phone, according to the spokesperson. In early October, 23andMe detected that data thieves had gotten into accounts safeguarded by login details recycled from other websites that had bee...

US-based live gaming streaming platform Twitch said Wednesday that it would stop its service in South Korea in February because of “seriously” high network costs. In a statement signed by CEO Dan Clancy, the Amazon-owned company said it had reached a stage where continued operation in the country had become “impossible”. It blamed Seoul’s network usage fees for the decision, saying costs were “10 times higher compared to the majority of other countries”. “Twitch operations in South Korea are scheduled to end on February 27, 2024,” the statement said. “The cost of running Twitch in South Korea is currently seriously high.” The company said in March it would cut more than 400 jobs “to ensure we protect our business in order for Twitch to be around for a long time”. The...

A Record-Breaking Spectacle: Tesla Light Show Shines Bright in EspooIn a captivating showcase of light and technology, Espoo's Vermo race track witnessed history on a chilly November evening. 687 Teslas, ranging from Model 3s to Model Xs, synchronized in a mesmerising dance of lights and music, setting a new world record for the largest Tesla light show. Masterminding the Spectacle: Tesla Club Finland & TeslaLightShows.ioThe brainchild of Tesla Club Finland and Simon Pollock from TeslaLightShows.io, this extraordinary event delivered an unforgettable experience. The mesmerising light display, choreographed to the beats of iconic tracks, transformed the assembly of cars into a dynamic canvas of art. Capturing the Spectacle: Flyby Guys' Aerial MagicTo immortalise this remarkab...

Stroll into a Huawei Technologies Co Ltd store in Shanghai or Shenzhen, and apart from the usual array of smartphones, laptops and tablets, shoppers can check out a 250,000 yuan (RM160,000) electric SUV. The Chinese tech giant is diversifying with electric vehicles (EVs) after landing at the centre of US-China trade tensions. Its access to advanced semiconductors was cut off and its 5G network equipment was banned in several Western countries because of national security concerns. Rather than build its own cars, Huawei has said it wants to be an auto supplier specialising in technologies like car operating systems and assisted driving — key growth opportunities as vehicles become increasingly tech-laden. Huawei has already partnered with at least five automakers to launch ele...

Image credit: SCMP A team of Chinese scientists has developed an innovative sensory system resembling a human fingertip, aiming to bring the tactile experience of touch to robots or amputees. The cutting-edge sensor, created by researchers from SUSTech, Xidian University, and the University of Houston, can identify various textures in real time, including wool, linen, nylon, polyester, and twill, with remarkable precision. Published in Nature Communications, the study demonstrates the sensor's capacity to recognize 20 different textiles with 100% accuracy at a fixed sliding rate. Integrated into a prosthetic fingertip, this system holds potential for advancing sensory technologies in robotics, aiding patients using artificial limbs, enhancing haptic-based virtual reality experie...