~the-next-web | Bookmarks (306)

London-based startup Bioniq, which creates hyper-personalised supplements for its customers — who range from pro athletes to regular people on the quest for longer life — has gone global. Founded in 2019, Bioniq leverages a patented algorithm based on blood test data from more than 40,000 people across 4 million biochemical data points to create a supplement regime tailor-made to your body and health...

With the plethora of legitimate streaming options available today, you’d be forgiven for thinking pirated TV shows were a thing of the past. But a new study by the EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that after a multi-year decline, online piracy is on the up.  The study, based on data from UK piracy tracking firm MUSO, suggests that there was a notable increase...

The world’s first self-stabilising walking exoskeleton, Atlante X,  has entered a rehabilitation trial in Germany. The exoskeleton will be provided to patients with hemiparesis, an after-effect of stroke that causes muscle weakness on one side of the body. Atalante X’s efficacy will be compared with standard rehabilitation methods. The trial, named EarlyExo, will take place at two renowned neurorehabilitation clinics: the Vivantes Klinikum Spandau...

The future of influence is here: a digital avatar that captivates millions of adoring fans while offering unparalleled customisation and round-the-clock availability. Virtual influencers are transforming the way content is created, consumed and marketed online. They represent an electrifying dance between cutting-edge technology and our desire for connection. But, at the same time, they are yet another product being peddled by marketers that want...

Poland’s data protection watchdog is investigating OpenAI’s ChatGPT after an unnamed complainant accused the company of GDPR breaches. “The case concerns the violation of many provisions on the protection of personal data, which is why we will ask OpenAI to answer a number of questions in order to thoroughly conduct the administrative proceedings,” said Jan Nowak, president of the country’s Personal Data Protection Office...

ChatGPT is a hot topic at my university, where faculty members are deeply concerned about academic integrity, while administrators urge us to “embrace the benefits” of this “new frontier.” It’s a classic example of what my colleague Punya Mishra calls the “doom-hype cycle” around new technologies. Likewise, media coverage of human-AI interaction — whether paranoid or starry-eyed — tends to emphasise its newness. In...

The EU’s Chips Act finally entered into force yesterday (September 21), after spending over a year winding its way through the legislature. The landmark law is designed to bolster the bloc’s domestic supply, sovereignty, and competitiveness in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor chips are the backbone of all electronic products — and as such, theyr’e fundamental components in everything from smartphones and cars to applications...

Hoxton Farms, a London-based biotech startup, has opened today the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated animal fat. Launched in 2020, the company combines cell biology and mathematical modelling to produce cultivated fat from pig and cow stem cells as an ingredient for plant-based meat. Its targets food ingredient suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers of meat alternatives. According to the startup, optimised taste isn’t...

The European Investment Fund (EIF) announced today it would invest €40mn with Blume Equity. Based out of London, the VC was founded by three women in 2020, and invests into European high-growth climate tech scaleups.  Blume Equity backs companies focusing on decarbonisation as well as broader environmental sustainability. These include carbon accounting platform Normative, sustainable femtech startup Elvie, Matsmart Motatos that looks to combat...

On Wednesday, the UK’s Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled a new campaign against Meta, urging the tech giant to rethink its plan to roll out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) on Facebook Messenger and Instagram. The company aims to finalise the encryption rollout later this year, but the British government is worried that the move will hinder the detection of child sexual abuse. According to the...

Apple is having a rough time of it in France as of late. As if mandated updates to the iPhone 12 due to radiation concerns weren’t enough, Apple customers in the country may now struggle to get their mitts on the latest model when it’s released.  French Apple store workers have voted to strike at the end of the week — coinciding with the...

The computer systems of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s most high-profile war tribunal, were hacked last week, according to a statement released by the court yesterday. The tribunal said that its services detected “anomalous activity” affecting its information systems and that “immediate measures” were adopted to respond to this cybersecurity incident and to mitigate its impact.  The ICC, headquartered in The Hague,...

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has seen exponential growth over the past decade, analysis by the European Patent Office (EPO) reveals. In its latest study, the EPO found that international patent families (IPFs) in 3D printing tech increased at an average rate of 26.3% each year between 2013 and 2020. Notably, this growth rate is nearly eight times faster than the average...

Google DeepMind has unveiled its novel AI tool that can predict whether DNA mutations are likely to cause genetic diseases. The ambition is that it will  facilitate faster diagnosis and development of life-saving treatments. The new AI model, called AlphaMissense, makes predictions about missense mutations, which occur when a single letter is substituted in the DNA code. The letters correspond to four nucleotides: adenine...

Berlin’s corporate carbon accounting platform Plan A has just received a fresh boost of capital in the form of $27mn from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Visa, and others. The ESG reporting SaaS startup will use the money to double its headcount to 240+ employees and expand market presence across Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, France, and the UK.  Greentech software provider Plan A was founded in...

Munich-based autonomous trucking startup Fernride has closed a further $19mn in its Series A funding round, neatly pushing the total amount raised in the round to $50mn.  Founded in 2019, Fernride has developed autonomous vehicle software that converts trucks into self-driving machines. These haulers operate at Level 4 autonomy which means the vehicle can drive itself within a specific area — albeit with a...

Britain’s controversial Online Safety Bill will soon become law after passing through parliament on Tuesday. The sweeping legislation places strict news content moderation rules on social media companies. Platforms will become legally responsible for the material they host. Under the new rules, platforms will have to quickly remove any illegal content — or stop it from appearing in the first place. They also must...

French car battery startup Verkor has secured €2bn to build its first manufacturing plant in France, at a time when Chinese competitors are rapidly gaining market share in Europe.   The funding round includes €650mn in French subsidies, a sizeable level of state support indicative of the government’s commitment to boosting local production of lithium-ion batteries — the beating hearts of electric cars.   Construction of...

The fight against “fake news” appears to have overwhelming support in the EU. According to a new study, 85% of the bloc’s citizens want policymakers to take more action against disinformation, while 89% want increased efforts from platform operators. Just 7% do not feel that stronger responses are required. The findings emerged from surveys by Bertelsmann Stiftung, a pro-business German think tank with close...

When it comes to saving the world — or, let’s face it, civilisation, the planet will recover — there is no silver bullet. Rather, it is going to take a holistic approach of caring for the Earth and each other.  A technological revolution got us into this pickle. Ironically, technology might just be the Hail Mary that will pull us, if not entirely out...

Britain has expanded its principles-based approach to AI regulation, which aims to create a pro-innovation edge over the EU. In an announcement yesterday, the UK government unveiled seven new principles for so-called foundation models (FMs), which underpin applications such as ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Midjourney. Trained on immense datasets and adaptable to various applications, these systems are at the epicentre of the AI boom....

Dutch packaging and materials manufacturer Avery Dennison has opened what it claims to be Europe’s largest concentrated solar thermal platform and storage unit at its factory in Turnhout, Belgium.   The new thermal solar energy plant comprises 2,240 surface mirrors, with a peak energy yield of 2.7GWh thermal power. It also contains six thermal modules that store energy for when the sun isn’t shining.   Concentrated...

“Should I bother going for this job at all? I’ve never managed anyone.” Clients regularly ask this and my answer tends to be, “Yes, of course you should.” A quick glance at a job spec will tell you why. You may not have headed up a team of software engineers but you have most likely done something along the way that proves you could....

ZeroAvia, one of the leading zero-emission aviation companies in the world, just announced its largest financing round to date. The funding round was co-led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, and NEOM. Other participants included Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Alaska Airlines, and the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. No exact funding amount has been disclosed due to legal reasons, but a spokesperson for the...