Science and technology

Google will infuse artificial intelligence into the U.S. broadcast of the Paris Olympics, allowing sports commentators to use AI to explain competitions, the tech company said on Thursday alongside NBCUniversal and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Google will be named the official search AI partner of Team USA, marking the first time a tech company has partnered with the sports nonprofit, the three organizations said in a statement. The announcement comes as NBCUniversal, which broadcasts the Games in the U.S., is modernizing its coverage to attract audiences who do not watch live television and young viewers who have grown up accustomed to watching clips online. The Comcast-owned media company previously said it would launch personalized AI-generated daily recaps of the competition that will be narrated by AI versions of people such as sports commentator Al Michaels. During daytime and primetime coverage of the Olympics, NBCUniversal’s anchors will use Google Search’s A...

In Ukraine, a handful of startups are developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to help fly a vast fleet of drones, taking warfare into uncharted territory as combatants race to gain a technological edge in battle. Ukraine hopes a rollout of AI-enabled drones across the front line will help it overcome increasing  signal jamming  by the Russians as well as enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to work in larger groups. AI drone development in Ukraine is broadly split between visual systems helping identify targets and fly drones into them, terrain mapping for navigation, and more complex programmes enabling UAVs to operate in interconnected “swarms”. One company working on this is Swarmer, which is developing software that links drones in a network. Decisions can be implemented instantly across the group, with a human only stepping in to green-light automated strikes. “When you try to scale up (with human pilots), it just doesn’t work,” Swarmer CEO Serhiy Kupriienk...

Activision has revealed the date of opening Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta version for players ahead of its release in October. The early access to Black Ops 6 open beta will begin in the last week of August, starting August 30 to September 4, according to gaming website GAMINGBIBLE. However, you will either have to had pre-ordered Black Ops 6 to be able to take part in the beta on PlayStation, PC and Xbox or you will have to be an active Game Pass subscriber. Activision will run the second open beta from September 6 to September 9 and will be completely free to take part regardless of players’ platform of choice. The first teaser trailer for Activision’s highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was released in May this year. The trailer showed what looked to be an espionage mission at night to vandalise Mt Rushmore in the United States with the phrase “The Truth Lies,” which is also the name of the website that uploaded the teaser trailer. Later in June, Xbox Games announce...

Expected to launch next year, leaks and rumours continue to hype Rockstar Games’ highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6. According to GTA insider going by the name of Tez2, the upcoming title will introduce a special music feature originally developed for Grand Theft Auto Online. Rockstar Games had initially planned to include the feature in The Contract DLC in collaboration with US music producer Dr Dre. The feature would see players take part in a music-mixing minigame, according to the insider. While it was cut from GTA Online, the publisher of the highly-anticipated title will ensure the feature to be ready around the same time GTA 6 is released in 2025. “It’s being cooked for VI anyways, and we’re a year away,” Tez2 claimed in the GTAForums. “Rockstar had more content planned for Record A Studios, like uploading your custom mix or downloading others’ mixes, but that was shelved,” Tez2 added. It is pertinent to mention that Dr Dre owns Record A Studios, a recording stud...

Apple’s iOS 18 brings significant improvements to home screen customization, including the ability to adjust widget sizes directly from your iPhone’s home screen. Previously available only on iPadOS, this feature is now accessible on iPhones with iOS 18. When in “jiggle mode,” a new handle appears in the lower-right corner of widgets. Dragging this handle allows the user to resize widgets to their own preference. Long-pressing on a widget reveals multiple size options, enabling the iPhone users to choose the best fit with a single tap. From the same menu, the users can convert widgets into app icons or vice versa, enhancing flexibility in organizing home screen. Long-pressing on an app icon that supports widgets allows iOS 18 users to instantly create a widget from the app, streamlining the customization process. The iOS 18 public beta is now available, allowing users to explore and test these new features. from Science and Technology News - Latest science and technology ne...

ISLAMABAD: The e-procurement system under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is being implemented in 27 ministries and 280 public departments, Managing Director PPRA Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi said. In a press statement, the PPRA managing director said the e-procurement system was initiated to reduce the public expenditures through transparency. Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi said that after its implementation in 27 ministries and 280 public departments, the system would soon be implemented across the country including in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. He said for the facilitation of procurement agencies and suppliers, a system was on the cards in collaboration with Federal Board of Revenue, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Accountant General Pakistan Revenues and State Bank of Pakistan. The system will offer a one-window operation and e-payment solutions. The implementation of e-procurement system has immense contribution of the Finance Ministry and ...

Road King, a leading electric scooter brand in Pakistan, and AGAO Solar Mobility, a China-based startup specializing in solar-powered scooters, reached a preliminary cooperation agreement recently to introduce eco-friendly solar e-bikes to Pakistan. Solar scooters are eco-friendly electric scooters equipped with solar panels. These panels harness solar energy to charge the scooter’s battery, reducing the need for traditional charging. The combination of solar energy and scooters is dedicated to short-distance travel with zero carbon emissions, said the Chinese company. During the meeting, both sides engaged in detailed discussions on Pakistan’s local transportation market demand, product development trends, and specific cooperation modalities, CEN reported. Read more: CM Maryam distributes e-bikes among students The Chinese company expressed its willingness to provide Road King with technical support, product optimization, and marketing assistance for solar e-bikes. The goal is to...