Science and technology

Apple shares rose more than 3% in premarket trading on Friday after the company forecast relatively strong sales growth, hinting at a recovery from a dip in iPhone sales as it rolls out artificial intelligence features. “With investors highly tuned into how AI spend will represent real revenue for big tech, Apple’s results have provided…reassurance,” said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. Unlike its technology peers such as Microsoft who have poured billions into AI-related investments, Apple took a prudent approach, betting on AI as features meant to help sell its latest hardware. That approach paid off earlier this week, when China’s DeepSeek unveiled free AI technology that sparked fears of price wars, sank stocks of some of Apple’s competitors and sent shares of the iPhone maker up slightly. Despite strong overall sales and profits, the company delivered a slight drop in iPhone revenue for the holiday quarter that missed Wall Street estimate...

A Uruguayan video games store has reportedly leaked the exact release date of Rockstar Games’ hotly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6. The store, called XUruguay, took the fans by surprise after a post revealed the exact release date of GTA 6, as per a gaming website. The post, which was quickly removed from its store, claimed the Rockstar Games title will launch on September 17, 2025. As per the post, GTA 6 will be released as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Reports said that the leak might have been a miscommunication between XUruguay and Rockstar Games. Several fans mentioned that GTA 5 was released on the exact same date, September 17, 2013. Read more: GTA 6: Rockstar Games’ official reaffirms 2025 release date If the leak is to be believed, GTA 6 will be released exactly 12 years after the release of the previous title in the Grand Theft Auto series. XUruguay later issued a statement to clarify the post which leaked the GTA 6 release date. “Like all fans, we are super exci...

Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), opens new tab on Friday warned of sluggish sales of its artificial intelligence chips in the current quarter due to U.S. export restrictions to China, and as it worked towards launching an improved version of its high-end chips. Advanced chips used for AI have been the bright spot in the weak memory chip market, but rival SK Hynix (000660.KS), opens new tab is Nvidia’s (NVDA.O), opens new tab main supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI graphics processing units (GPUs), whereas Samsung has struggled to meet Nvidia’s requirements. The U.S. in December also launched a fresh crackdown on China’s semiconductor industry, including restricting HBM chip sales. Samsung, which relied on Chinese customers for about 20% of HBM sales, according to analysts, was expected to be hit much harder than its peers. “There will be some temporary restrictions in our HBM chip sales in the first quarter,” said Kim Jae-june, executive vice president of Sams...

Vodafone said it had made the world’s first video call via satellite using a standard smartphone from a remote location, and it plans to roll out the technology for its users across Europe later this year and in 2026. The European mobile operator’s CEO Margherita Della Valle received the call on Monday from company engineer Rowan Chesmer, who was located in the Welsh mountains where there was no network signal. “We were using the only satellite service that can offer a full mobile experience with a normal device, so you get everything from voice to text to video data transmission, which is why we did a full video call,” Della Valle said in an interview on Wednesday. “Our objective is to bring the service to our customers as soon as possible.” Vodafone is using AST SpaceMobile’s five BlueBird satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide transmission speeds of up to 120 megabits per second for standard smartphones. The British company is an investor in AST SpaceMobile, alongside AT...

Microsoft on Wednesday forecast disappointing growth in its cloud computing business, sending its shares down 4.5% in after-hours trading as investors worry about big spending, elusive artificial intelligence revenue and competition from cheaper AI models from China. Azure results for the fiscal second quarter also fell below Wall Street expectations. Despite beating quarterly overall sales estimates, investors want better results from the hundreds of billions of dollars that Wall Street heavyweights have been spending to build AI data centers and infuse their products with the emerging technology. Chinese rivals have recently claimed to produce competing AI technologies at lower costs than U.S. rivals, sparking fears of a price war. For more than a year, Microsoft and its Big Tech peers have tested Wall Street’s patience by plunking down huge amounts of cash in pursuit of profits from AI that have yet to satisfy investors. “It’s OK if that is a few years out, three to five years i...

Days after Chinese upstart DeepSeek revealed a breakthrough in cheap AI computing that shook the US technology industry, the chief executives of Microsoft and Meta defended massive spending that they said was key to staying competitive in the new field. DeepSeek’s quick progress has stirred doubts about the lead America has in AI with models that it claims can match or even outperform Western rivals at a fraction of the cost, but the U.S. executives said on Wednesday that building huge computer networks was necessary to serve growing corporate needs. “Investing ‘very heavily’ in capital expenditure and infrastructure is going to be a strategic advantage over time,” Meta (META.O), opens new tab CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on a post-earnings call. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, said the spending was needed to overcome the capacity constraints that have hampered the technology giant’s ability to capitalize on AI. “As AI becomes more efficient and accessible, we...

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), founded in 1960, has been crucial in creating high-yielding rice varieties that have revolutionized agriculture worldwide. Often referred to as “miracle rice,” IRRI rice has been vital in tackling food security issues, especially in Asia, where rice is a dietary staple for billions. This article examines the motivations for cultivating IRRI rice, the techniques employed, and its considerable cost-effectiveness. Why IRRI Rice Was Cultivated The primary motivation behind the development of IRRI rice was to address the severe food shortages and malnutrition that plagued many parts of Asia during the mid-20th century. The Green Revolution, which began in the 1960s, aimed to increase agricultural productivity through the use of high-yielding crop varieties, improved irrigation techniques, and the application of fertilizers and pesticides. IRRI rice was specifically designed to meet the following objectives: Increase Yield: Traditional r...

Chinese tech company Alibaba on Wednesday released Qwen2.5-Max, a new version of its artificial intelligence (AI) model that it claimed surpassed the highly-acclaimed DeepSeek-V3. The unusual timing of the Qwen2.5-Max’s release, on the first day of the Lunar New Year when most Chinese people are off work and with their families, points to the pressure Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s meteoric rise in the past three weeks has placed on not just overseas rivals, but also its domestic competition. “Qwen 2.5-Max outperforms … almost across the board GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3 and Llama-3.1-405B,” Alibaba’s cloud unit said in an announcement posted on its official WeChat account, referring to OpenAI and Meta’s most advanced open-source AI models. The Jan. 10 release of DeepSeek’s AI assistant, powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, as well as the Jan. 20 release of its R1 model, has shocked Silicon Valley and caused tech shares to plunge, with the Chinese startup’s purportedly low development and usag...

Cost-effectiveness has emerged as a critical factor in the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence due to the meteoric rise of DeepSeek; a powerful AI platform that dominated the performance of its contemporaries while simultaneously redefining the economic ecosystem of AI deployment. By offering a powerful combination of affordability, scalability, and efficiency, DeepSeek has shaken the market, forcing competitors to rethink their strategies and pricing models. The Cost-Effectiveness Advantage DeepSeek’s cost-effectiveness stems from its innovative approach to AI development and deployment. Unlike many traditional AI platforms that rely on expensive infrastructure and proprietary technologies, DeepSeek leverages open-source frameworks and optimized algorithms to reduce operational costs. This allows the platform to offer high-quality AI services at a fraction of the price of its competitors. One of the key factors contributing to DeepSeek’s affordability is its efficient ...

Technology shares on Tuesday regained some ground lost with AI chip leader Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab closing up 8.9% as some investors shopped for bargains after the previous day’s record-breaking wipeout sparked by a low-cost Chinese artificial intelligence model Deep Seek that could threaten the dominance of US rivals. On Monday, Nvidia lost about 17% or close to $593 billion in market value – a record one-day loss for any company, while shares of companies in semiconductor, power and infrastructure companies exposed to AI collectively shed more than $1 trillion. Monday’s selloff, which hammered many tech stocks across the globe, was prompted by the release of a free AI assistant from China’s DeepSeek that the startup said needed less data at a fraction of the cost of incumbent services. DeepSeek drew worldwide attention, although skepticism, opens new tab lingered over its cost claims. The broader technology sector (.SPLRCT), opens new tab came back with a 3.6% rally on Tu...

SAN FRANCISCO: Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street on Monday following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like model from China, with US President Donald Trump saying it was a “wake-up call” for Silicon Valley. Last week’s release of the latest DeepSeek model initially received limited attention, overshadowed by the inauguration of Trump on the same day. However, over the weekend, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup’s chatbot surged to become the most downloaded free app on Apple’s US App Store, displacing OpenAI’s ChatGPT. What truly rattled the industry was DeepSeek’s claim that it developed its latest model, the R1, at a fraction of the cost that major companies are investing in AI development, primarily on expensive Nvidia chips and software. The development is significant given the AI boom, ignited by ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, has propelled Nvidia to become one of the world’s most valuable companies. The news sent shockwaves through the US ...

Chinese startup DeepSeek said on Monday it will temporarily limit registrations due to a cyberattack after the company’s AI assistant amassed sudden popularity. The startup earlier in the day was also hit by outages on its website after its AI assistant became the top-rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States. The company resolved issues relating to its application programming interface and users’ inability to log in to the website, according to its status page. The outages on Monday were the company’s longest in around 90 days and coincides with its sky-rocketing popularity. DeepSeek last week launched a free assistant it says uses less data at a fraction of the cost of incumbent players’ models, possibly marking a turning point in the level of investment needed for AI. Powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, which its creators say “tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally”, the artificial...

After impressing PlayStation 5 players since its release on March 22, 2024, the highly praised Rise of the Ronin is finally coming to PC. Get ready to dive into the chaotic Bakumatsu era of Japan as you embark on an exciting open-world adventure in Rise of the Ronin. Rise of the Ronin lets you play as a nameless Ronin, a masterless samurai who is creating their own path in the midst of Japan’s 19th-century turmoil. As Western influence begins to clash with Japan’s traditional ways, the country is on the edge of revolution. The choices you make will change history in Rise of the Ronin, affecting key figures like Ryoma Sakamoto and the Shinsengumi. Explore the beauty and harshness of the Bakumatsu era as you travel through lively cities such as Edo, Yokohama, and Kyoto. Rise of the Ronin features amazing visuals, now improved for PC with support for 8K resolution, 120fps gameplay, and 3D audio. Read More: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season 2 release date revealed You can master a...

Chinese startup DeepSeek’s AI Assistant on Monday overtook rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States. Powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, which its creators say “tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally”, the artificial intelligence application has surged in popularity among U.S. users since it was released on Jan. 10, according to app data research firm Sensor Tower. The milestone highlights how DeepSeek has left a deep impression on Silicon Valley, upending widely held views about U.S. primacy in AI and the effectiveness of Washington’s export controls targeting China’s advanced chip and AI capabilities. AI models from ChatGPT to DeepSeek require advanced chips to power their training. The Biden administration has since 2021 widened the scope of bans designed to stop these chips from being exported to China and used to train Chinese firms’ AI models. How...

Digital news units of Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, and other outlets including the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times, are joining proceedings against OpenAI for improperly using copyright content for ChatGPT, legal papers show. Courts globally are hearing claims by authors, news organisations and musicians who accuse technology firms of using their copyrighted work to train AI services without permission or payment. India has more than 690 million smartphone users thanks to cheap mobile data plans and OpenAI has said the country is a critical market. The Indian media outlets, including Adani’s NDTV and Ambani’s Network18, have told a New Delhi court they want to join an ongoing lawsuit against the ChatGPT creator as they are worried their news websites are being scraped to store and reproduce their work for users of the powerful AI tool. Reuters was first to report the case filing by the news publishers, which escalates an ongoing legal battle against C...

Chinese startup DeepSeek’s AI Assistant on Monday overtook rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States. Powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, which its creators say “tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally”, the artificial intelligence application has surged in popularity among US users since it was released on Jan. 10, according to app data research firm Sensor Tower. The milestone highlights how DeepSeek has left a deep impression on Silicon Valley, upending widely held views about US primacy in AI and the effectiveness of Washington’s export controls targeting China’s advanced chip and AI capabilities. AI models from ChatGPT to DeepSeek require advanced chips to power their training. The Biden administration has since 2021 widened the scope of bans designed to stop these chips from being exported to China and used to train Chinese firms’ AI models. Read mo...

QUETTA: Students from Turbat University in Balochistan’s Kech district have achieved a remarkable feat by developing a cutting-edge mobile application named “Shanakht” for the district police. The mobile app provides police with quick access to detailed information about suspects involved in criminal activities or fugitives, making it a valuable tool for apprehending offenders. The app, designed specifically for crime prevention, took four months to develop. After its completion, it was officially handed over to the District Kech Police. Superintendent of Police (SP) Kech, Rashid-ur-Rehman, commended the students for their innovation and hard work, awarding them certificates in acknowledgment of their efforts. Read more: Sindh police launch ‘Talash’ app to fight street crimes In 2022, Sindh police launched ‘Talash (search) App’ to fight rising street crimes in Karachi with the help of modern equipment and improve policing. According to details, the app was launched by Sindh Ins...

“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari is a sweeping and insightful exploration of our species’ journey from its humble beginnings to the present day. Sapiens explores the rise of Homo sapiens through key revolutions: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Scientific Revolution. This groundbreaking book examines how human history is shaped by “shared fictions” – myths, religions, and ideologies – that enable unparalleled cooperation. Harari investigates the impact of these revolutions on human society, from the dawn of agriculture and the rise of civilizations to the challenges of the modern world, including climate change, technological disruption, and the search for meaning in the 21st century. The Cognitive Revolution: The book begins by examining the unique cognitive abilities that set Homo sapiens apart from other animals. Around 70,000 years ago, a “Cognitive Revolution” occurred, leading to the development of advanced language a...

NEW DELHI: Indian book publishers and their international counterparts have filed a copyright lawsuit against OpenAI in New Delhi, a representative said on Friday, the latest in a series of global cases seeking to stop the ChatGPT chatbot accessing proprietary content. Courts across the world are hearing claims by authors, news outlets and musicians who accuse technology firms of using their copyright work to train AI services and who are seeking to have content used to train the chatbot deleted. The New Delhi-based Federation of Indian Publishers told Reuters it had filed a case at the Delhi High Court, which is already hearing a similar lawsuit against OpenAI. The case was filed on behalf of all the federation’s members, who include publishers like Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, Cambridge University Press and Pan Macmillan, as well as India’s Rupa Publications and S.Chand and Co, it said. “Our ask from the court is that they should stop (OpenAI from) accessing our copyright c...

Mastercard and Visa failed to stop their payment networks from laundering proceeds from child sexual abuse material and sex trafficking on the popular website OnlyFans, according to allegations in a previously undisclosed whistleblower complaint filed with the U.S. Treasury’s financial crimes unit. The whistleblower, a senior compliance expert in the credit card and banking industries, said the two giant card companies knew their networks were being used to pay for illegal content on the porn-driven site since at least 2021, and accused them of “turning a blind eye to flows of illicit revenue.” The complaint was filed in January 2023 with the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the U.S. Justice and Homeland Security departments, the whistleblower said. The complaint said that the whistleblower and other anti-trafficking experts, including U.S. federal agents, alerted Visa and Mastercard to unlawful content on OnlyFans in a series of calls in 2021 and 2022. ...

The developer of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6 parody game has announced launching the game on Steam after it was taken down from the PlayStation. The parody game titled, Grand Taking Ages VI was initially launched on PlayStations Store last month and resembled the Rockstar Games’ upcoming title. Several were taken by surprise seeing the game having the acronym “GTA 6,” the official title of Rockstar Games’ highly-anticipated game. However, it was later revealed that Grand Taking Ages VI was a game development simulator, allowing players to manage a studio while overcoming obstacles developers encounter during the creation of the game. While it has not been confirmed whether Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive played a part in the GTA 6 parody game’s takedown, it was effectively pulled from the PlayStation Store recently. Fans of the parody game have now received a major development as the Grand Theft Auto 6 parody game is set to launch on Steam after the developer revamped it....

PayPal will pay a $2 million civil fine over cybersecurity failures that led to the exposure of customers’ Social Security numbers in late 2022, New York state’s Department of Financial Services said on Thursday. Adrienne Harris, New York’s financial services superintendent, said a probe by her office found PayPal failed to use qualified staff to manage key cybersecurity functions or provide adequate training to address cybersecurity risks. She said this left names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers belonging to customers of the San Jose, California-based digital payments company easily accessible to cybercriminals for about seven weeks. PayPal cooperated with the probe. It did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to a consent order, PayPal discovered the problem after a security analyst on Dec. 6, 2022 read an online message that said “PP EXPLOIT TO GET SSN.” The next day, PayPal’s cybersecurity team saw a spike in attempts to access its online pla...