Science and technology

The rise of AI-generated images inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli iconic style has quickly become a viral trend on social media. While many people have embraced the new wave of Ghibli-inspired art, others are not happy about it, believing it disrespects the hard work and artistry of Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator behind Studio Ghibli. Critics argue that AI-generated art, which can quickly mimic Ghibli’s distinct style, diminishes the value of traditional animation and the years of dedication that went into creating it. Recently, a wave of AI-generated Ghibli-style images flooded social media, thanks to an update in OpenAI’s image generation tool on ChatGPT. Users were excited to create their own versions of Ghibli-inspired artwork, but the trend also sparked outrage among some fans. Many expressed their frustration, with one user on X saying, “All this ‘Ghibli trend’ made me nauseous. I hope Miyazaki sues everyone involved. IDC.” Others raised concerns about t...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has urged ChatGPT users to slow down as the Ghibli-style AI trend continues to dominate social media, overwhelming the company’s servers. The viral trend, powered by OpenAI’s latest image generator in GPT-4o, has led to an unprecedented surge in image requests, slowing down services. Feeds across platforms have been flooded with AI-generated Ghibli-inspired artwork, reimagining everything from pop culture figures to personal portraits. In a lighthearted yet urgent post on X, Altman pleaded: “Can y’all please chill on generating images? This is insane—our team needs sleep.” The Ghibli-inspired AI art craze reflects the growing popularity of AI-generated creativity, but also highlights the challenges of scaling AI infrastructure under surging demand. Read more: The internet can’t stop talking about these Ghibli-style memes The company describes GPT-4o as its “most advanced image generator yet,” offering improved accuracy, better text rendering, and more prec...

WhatsApp, the globally popular messaging platform, has unveiled an exciting new feature that allows users to add temporary music clips to their profile updates. This innovative addition aims to enhance the user experience by enabling more personalized and engaging status updates. The new feature, which is being rolled out globally, will be available to all users in the coming weeks. The temporary music clips feature allows users to include audio clips in their WhatsApp profile updates, a functionality similar to the Stories feature on Facebook and Instagram. How It Works The new feature to add temporary music clips is integrated into WhatsApp’s status function, accessible under the “WhatsApp Updates” tab. Users can share text, images, and videos that automatically disappear after 24 hours. With the addition of music clips, users can now further customize their updates. Read more: Step by step guide to create AI images on WhatsApp Steps to Add Music to Your WhatsApp Status: ...

The CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has addressed the company’s strategy for the release of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6. The company set the title for a release in the fall of 2025. Following the confirmation, Rockstar Games stated that GTA 6 will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Later, reports said that the publisher is likely to put GTA 6’s launch somewhere between late August and December of 2025. However, Take-Two Interactive or Rockstar Games have not confirmed or denied these reports. Take-Two’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has now addressed the company’s strategy for the release of the game and their marketing campaign. Read more: GTA 6 exact release date ‘leaked’ by video games store “The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I have ever seen for an entertainment property. And I have been around the block a few times and I have been in every entertainment business there is, and we want to maintain the antic...

The makers of Assassin’s Creed Shadows fired back at Tesla owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the game. The US billionaire has been trolled for months over his claims of having high gaming skills. Several alleged that Elon Musk had been paying other people to play online games for him and then bragging publicly about his skills. Amid the controversy, the Tesla owner drew the ire of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ makers for calling the game ‘terrible.’ The social media exchange was sparked by former Blizzard developer Mark Kern, who criticised Ubisoft for collaborating with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker to promote its latest title. Read more: Unlock the Test Your Might trophy in Assassin’s Creed Shadows – A step by step guide Responding to his X post, Musk called Piker a ‘sell out’ “Objectively, he is promoting a terrible game just for the money,” the Tesla owner wrote. While Piker did not respond to the comments, the game’s social media team hit back at Elon Musk over his remarks....

A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad discussed strategic investments in Bitcoin mining and the tokenization of real-world assets in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by key government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, State Bank Governor Jamil Ahmad, and Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal Bin Saqib, among others. Global blockchain leaders also participated, including Marco Streng and Dr. Marco Krohn, Co-Founders of Genesis Group, a leading Bitcoin mining firm, and Vincent Kadar, CEO of Polymath Canada, a pioneer in asset tokenization. The discussions focused on establishing a $3.5 billion Bitcoin mining infrastructure and initiating comprehensive asset tokenization projects to enhance economic resilience, attract foreign direct investment, and modernize Pakistan’s financial ecosystem. Read more: Pakistan Crypto Council marks...

NEW DELHI: India plans to scrap a contentious tax of 6% on digital advertisements that primarily affected U.S. tech giants such as Alphabet’s Google, Meta and Amazon, aiming to ease U.S. concerns and advance a trade pact. New Delhi’s move seeks to assuage concerns raised by Washington after President Donald Trump threatened reciprocal tariffs from April 2 on trading partners, including India, that fuelled alarm among exporters. The government proposes to abolish the 6% equalisation levy on online services, including advertising, as part of amendments to the Finance Bill 2025, a government source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Parliament is expected to approve the bill this week, making the decision on the levy effective from April 1, the source added. India’s finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During a visit last month to the United States by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both nations agreed to work on the first phase of a trade deal...

As a social media manager, ensuring your online content complies with Facebook’s Community Standards is crucial to maintaining a safe and respectful online community. With billions of users worldwide, Facebook’s platform provides unparalleled opportunities for connection and engagement. However, it also presents challenges, particularly when it comes to navigating the complexities of online content moderation. In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of Facebook’s Community Standards, highlighting key areas of focus for social media managers. By understanding these guidelines, you can ensure your content meets Facebook’s requirements, avoiding account suspension or termination. Understanding Facebook’s Community Standards Facebook’s Community Standards outline what is and isn’t allowed on the platform. These standards apply to all content, including posts, comments, messages, and stories. The guidelines are divided into several sections, each addressing specific types of c...

An unofficial playable recreation of the Grand Theft Auto 6 map in GTA 5 has been taken down following Take-Two Interactive’s copyright strike. The GTA 5 map based on available and leaked information about GTA 6 was created by a modder going by the name of Dark Space. The mod was reportedly aimed at letting players get a feel for what the upcoming Rockstar Games’ title may have to offer when it does release later this year. Gameplay footage of the map was shared on Dark Space’s YouTube channel which soon went viral. However, the move seemed to have caught the attention of Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive. The company reportedly issued a copyright strike on the video, leading the modder to take down the video. Read more: GTA 6 fans left concerned as Rockstar title’s price appears online Following Take-Two Interactive’s move, Dark Space suggested that the GTA 6 parent company might have taken the action as the map may have been too accurate. “I think my map co...

In exciting video game news for PlayStation (PS5) owners, the long-awaited release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Sony’s platform has finally been confirmed through a newly released trailer. After a timed exclusive run on Xbox and PC last year, fans of the iconic adventurer have been eagerly awaiting news of when the game would arrive on PS5. Bethesda has now revealed that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be available on PS5 from April 17th, 2025, with a standard edition, a premium edition, and a collector’s bundle, which includes the same globe replica featured in last year’s Xbox release. The announcement came in a unique and clever collaboration between two legendary adventurers from different franchises. A trailer released by Bethesda and PlayStation stars Troy Baker, voice of Indiana Jones, as he is summoned by Nolan North, the voice of Nathan Drake from Uncharted   a series heavily inspired by the Indiana Jones films. In the trailer, the two bond ...

Pakistan all set to enter the satellite internet spectrum as Starlink, a global satellite internet provider, has obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to launch services in Pakistan, ARY News reported. According to sources, Starlink has fulfilled all the requirements set by the regulatory board, the NOC was issued by Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board after clearance from the Interior Ministry. Sources revealed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is also expected to issue a license to Starlink within the next two weeks. Starlink has already submitted its technical and business plans to the PTA and has registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the Pakistan Software Export Board. The company has completed three stages of registration in Pakistan, with the final stage being the issuance of a license by the PTA. Also read: PTA shares major update on Starlink launch in Pakistan Once the license is issued, Starlink will b...

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Information Technology (IT) sector exports saw a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 19 percent in February 2025, ARY News reported. According to a report released by the State Bank of Pakistan, the country’s IT sector exports totaled $305 million in February 2025, compared to $257 million in February 2024. The report also highlighted that for the 17th consecutive month, IT sector exports continue to rise. Exports increased by 26 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, reaching $2.48 billion, up from $1.978 billion during the same period last year. The growth has been attributed to Pakistan’s expanding access to new markets, including a growing market share in the Gulf countries. Additionally, the report noted that the strengthening of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar has played a role in boosting IT exports. Read More: Pakistan’s IT exports cross $2.17 bln in seven months of FY24-25 Earlier, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) report ...

Ubisoft’s hotly-anticipated title Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally hit the shelves on Thursday after facing a couple of delays. The latest release is Ubisoft’s first major game since the dismal reception of Star Wars Outlaws in August last year. On the first day of its release, the game received an 80 percent positive rating on Steam, according to a gaming website. Considered a make-or-break for Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows ranked first on Steam’s top currently selling games globally on Thursday. The action-adventure game received a user rating of 4.79 stars out of five based on 1,834 ratings on Sony’s PlayStation Store. The PC version of the Ubisoft title scored 78 points on the Metacritic 100-point scale after 45 critic reviews. On the other hand, negative reviews pointed out errors and crashes at launch while several gamers said the story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows did not have “a good foundation”. Read more: Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Complete guide to ‘Twisted Tree’ l...

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows , the Twisted Tree assassination board offers seven targets across Kyoto’s Yamashiro region. To access it, players of Assassin’s Creed Shadows must find discarded letters while exploring or completing side quests. Some targets are easy to locate , but others require careful observation due to vague descriptions. The board centres around the Takahashi family, led by the harsh patriarch Takahashi Inoshichi. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows the three siblings believe they’re destined for more than their criminal life, and you can choose to spare them for rewards. The other three are heavily guarded by Ronin bodyguards, requiring stealth or strategic kills. Ichi-Hime, for example, can be found in the Umenomiya Shrine, where she explains her plan to escape with her brother, Goro, who’s at the Shokokuji Pagoda. Whether you kill or spare them, the rewards remain the same. Read More: Leak teases the return of Dark Soul bosses in Elden Ring Nightreign Shiro, ano...

PARIS: Europe’s Euclid space telescope, which is on a mission to shed light on the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, released its first data Wednesday with a little help from volunteers and artificial intelligence. The telescope launched in 2023, aiming to chart one third of the sky — encompassing 1.5 billion galaxies — to create what has been billed as humanity’s most accurate 3D map of the universe. Euclid, which is now hovering 1.5 million kilometres (932,0000 miles) from Earth, has previously released images of a range of strange galaxies, colourful nebulas and shining stars. But the first release of astronomical data is “a new milestone for our dark universe detective,” the European Space Agency’s science director Carole Mundell told a press conference. The huge amount of data — which was accompanied by 27 scientific papers — still only covers less then 0.5 percent of the sky that Euclid will scan over its six-year mission. Snagging the ‘cosmic web’ Yet the early da...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan earned US $2.177 billion by exporting different Information Technology (IT) services in various countries during the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2024-25. This shows a growth of 26.53 percent as compared with the US $ 1.720 billion earned through the provision of services during the corresponding months of the last fiscal year 2023-24, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. During the months under review, the computer services grew by 32.72 percent as it surged from US $1.397 billion last year to US $1.855 billion during July-January 2024-25. Among the computer services, the exports of software consultancy services witnessed an increase of 35.51 percent, from US $476.017 million to US $645.036 million this year while the export of hardware consultancy services also witnessed an increase of 4.39 percent, from US $3.338 million to US $3.485 million. The export and imports of computer software services decreased by 4.27 percent, from $3...

BEIJING: BYD on Monday unveiled a new platform for electric vehicles (EVs) that it said could charge EVs as quickly as it takes to pump gas and announced for the first time that it would build a charging network across China. The so-called “super e-platform” will be capable of peak charging speeds of 1,000 kilowatts (kW), enabling cars that use it to travel 400 km (249 miles) on a 5-minute charge, founder Wang Chuanfu said at an event livestreamed from the company’s Shenzhen headquarters. Charging speeds of 1,000 kW would be twice as fast as Tesla’s superchargers whose latest version offers up to 500 kw charging speeds. Fast-charging technology has been key to increasing EV adoption as it is seen to help assure EV drivers’ concerns over being able to charge their cars quickly. “In order to completely solve our user’s charging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refuelling time of petrol vehicles,” Wang said. “This i...

Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom firm by users, said on Monday certain tariff plans will continue to give subscribers free streaming access to Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, among the country’s most-watched sporting events. The plan is applicable to users recharging their accounts with 299 rupees ($3.44) or more and will enable them to watch matches on Reliance-Disney’s newly merged JioHotstar streaming platform, the Reliance Group-owned firm said. IPL, a money spinner and among the country’s most-streamed content, is scheduled to be held between March 22 and May 25. The move comes a month after Reuters reported that the Reliance-Disney JV will no longer offer completely free streaming for IPL cricket matches, as was the case in 2023 and 2024 in the old JioCinema platform, and will adopt a hybrid model where subscription kicks in after content consumption reaches a threshold. The new plan also includes a 50-day trial of Reliance Jio’s broadband internet services...

A new leak has given Elden Ring Nightreign fans an exciting sneak peek at one of the returning bosses from the Dark Souls series. While many players were already anticipating the appearance of The Nameless King, a TikTok video may have just revealed another familiar face the Gaping Dragon set to appear in the upcoming game. The footage has generated plenty of buzz, sparking excitement as players look forward to more returning bosses when the game releases. The TikTok video comes from user @cmx4six, who shared gameplay footage with the caption “Who’s that Pokemon?” inviting fans to guess the Dark Souls boss in question. @cmz4six They want to know who else I could find? #eldenringnightreign #eldenringnightreignrelease #eldenringnightreignbosses ♬ Elden Ring Nightreign Main Theme – Epic Version – Pharozen According to reports, the user is playtesting Elden Ring Nightreign, which led to this revealing clip. In the footage, players appear to face off against the Gaping Dragon...

Facebook has announced that it is adding Facebook Stories to its Facebook monetization programme, offering creators another way to generate income on the platform. This new addition expands the monetization options available to creators, who can now earn money from both their regular content and Facebook Stories. Last year, Facebook simplified its Facebook monetization process by merging its in-stream ads and performance bonus programmes into one unified scheme. This change allowed creators to earn money from videos, Reels, photos, and text posts by simply opting into a single programme. Now, Facebook Stories are also included, giving creators even more ways to monetize their content. The monetization of Facebook Stories will be performance-based, a model Meta introduced last year. This new approach encourages creators to focus on engagement and content quality, rather than the length of their posts, to maximise their earnings. Read More: Meta introduces big changes to Facebook...

WASHINGTON: SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow “as soon as 2029.” “Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely,” Musk said on his X social network. Musk, who is also the Tesla CEO, brought out the company’s Optimus robots at an event last year. He said the dancing robots would one day be able to do menial tasks, as well as offer friendship, and expected them to retail for $20,000 to $30,000. Starship — the world’s largest and most powerful rocket — is key to Musk’s long-term vision of colonizing Mars. Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall — about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — Starship is designed to eventually be fully reusable. NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship as a lu...

OpenAI and Elon Musk have agreed to fast-track a trial over OpenAI’s for-profit shift, the latest turn in a  grudge match  between the world’s richest person and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman playing out publicly in court. Billionaire Elon Musk and OpenAI jointly proposed a trial in December, according to a federal court filing on Friday. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up  here. The parties agreed to delay a decision on whether the expedited case will be decided by a jury or solely by the judge, said the filing in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The judge this month  denied Musk’s request  to pause the artificial intelligence group’s transition to a for-profit model but agreed to an expedited trial in the autumn, the latest turn in the high-stakes legal fight. “We welcome the court’s March 4 decision  rejecting, opens new tab  Elon Musk’s latest attempt to slo...

Russia is using cryptocurrencies in its oil trade with China and India to skirt Western sanctions, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. While Russia has publicly encouraged the use of cryptocurrency and last summer passed a law to allow digital currency payments in international trade, its use in the country’s oil trade has not previously been reported. Some Russian oil companies are using bitcoin, ether and stablecoins such as Tether to smooth the conversion of Chinese yuan and Indian rupees to Russian roubles, the sources said, adding that it is a small but growing part of Russia’s overall oil trade, which according to the International Energy Agency was worth $192 billion last year. All the sources declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Cryptocurrencies have already helped enable countries under U.S. sanctions such as Iran and Venezuela to keep their economies running while avoiding use of the dollar, the preferred currency for...

Intel (INTC.O) on Wednesday named former board member and chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO and signaled the struggling but storied chipmaker was unlikely to split up its chip-design and manufacturing operations. The appointment, effective March 18, comes three months after Intel ousted CEO and company veteran Pat Gelsinger, whose costly and ambitious plan to turn the company around was faltering and sapping investor confidence. The Technology Roundup newsletter brings the latest news and trends straight to your inbox. Tan, a former Intel board member, had been seen as a CEO contender thanks to his deep experience in the chip industry as well as a longtime technology investor in promising startups. He was approached by Intel’s board in December to gauge his interest in taking up the job, Reuters had reported. “Together, we will work hard to restore Intel’s position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers l...

Google has revised its affiliate ads policy for Chrome extensions following accusations that PayPal’s popular Honey browser extension is a “scam.” Honey, the browser extension owned by PayPal that promises to help users find coupons while shopping online, has become the focus of a growing controversy. In December, YouTuber MegaLag accused the Chrome extension of being a scam, claiming it takes money from content creators and doesn’t actually save users money. In January, lawyer Devin Stone from the Legal Eagle YouTube channel filed a lawsuit against Honey, echoing these same concerns regarding scam. Now, Google has updated its rules for Chrome extensions, seemingly in response to these issues. The main problems with PayPal’s Honey revolve around two key points. First, users argue that the extension doesn’t always find the best deals, often replacing valid coupon codes with its own, which can be easily found through a simple Google search. The second, more serious allegation,...