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The walking, talking, dancing Optimus robots at the recent Tesla demonstration generatedhuge excitement. But this turned todisappointmentas itbecame apparentthatmuch ofwhat was happening was actually being controlled remotely by humans. Take Sophia, for instance, the robot created by Texas-based Hanson Robotics back in 2016. Obviously these are still impressive in different ways, but theyre nowhere near the complete sentient package. Let Optimus or Atlas loose in a random home and youd see something very different....

As is their tradition at this time of year,Appleannounced a new line of iPhones last week. Yet the reaction from the collective world of consumer technology has been muted. The lack of enthusiasm from consumers was so evident it immediately wiped over ahundred billion dollarsoff Apples share price. The reason is that AI has now passed whattech blog The Media Copilotcalled its wonderment phase. But now, AI needs to show that it can actually be productive....

But what would a breakup of these tech giants achieve for consumers? You receive a message notification on WhatsApp, which was sent by your friend using her Signal messaging app. Sending and receiving messagesfrom different appsis now so common you barely notice it. In fact,interoperability where different systems and tech work seamlessly together is everywhere. You look at reviews produced by people you follow, irrespective of the platform they used to share it....

The software was created by Opteran, a startup based in the UK. But the idea originated from research on bugs. Scientists at the University of Sheffield had been studying the brains of insects. They discovered remarkable neurological efficiency. But the bee minds tiny size belies its impressive power. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Its capable of complex navigation, obstacle avoidance, and communication. It also functions with formidable energy efficiency....

Theartificial intelligenceboom has already changed how we understand technology and the world. But developing and updating AI programs requires alot of computing power. The development of AI-based systems has been blamed fora 48% increasein Googlesgreenhouse gas emissionsover five years. This will make it harder for the tech giant to achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2030. Its against this background that tech companies have been lookingto renewablesandnuclear fissionto supply electricity to their data centres....

The conversation recorded by our senior editor Linnea Ahlgren focuses around Europes pathway to success. What are we doing right and wrong, compared to the other continents? Whats the future of the European software industry like? And what does AI have to do with it? It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Here are the links for this episode: Music and sound engineering for this podcast are bySound Pulse. Feel free to email us with any questions, suggestions, and opinions atpodcast@thenextweb....

Since then, the platform has become an increasingly polarised and divisive space. Muskpromised to dealwith some of the issues which had already frustrated users, particularly bots, abuse and misinformation. Butothers disagree, claiming that misinformation is still rife there. The figures also come out against the background ofa disagreementover whether Xs traffic is waning or not. The platform currently has no clear pathway to profitability. Xs loss has naturally been a gain for its competitors....

Engineer-turned-entrepreneur Max Beaumont founded Skytree in 2014, following his work on DAC for theEuropean Space Agency. Direct air capture DAC machines suck CO2 from the air like a giant vacuum. The CO2 they capture can be buried underground ormineralised into rockfor construction. It can also be used to make anything fromcleaner chemicalstosustainable aviation fuelfor aircraft. 40% off TNW Conference! One, Skytree Cumulus, produces 20kg of CO2 daily. It is targetted at small-scale applications such as vertical farming and cannabis cultivation....

The blast will lastapproximately 100 quadrillionths of a second. For decades, scientists have been experimenting with lasers to create fusion reactions. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Net energy gain essentially means that the reaction produced more energy than went into it. For that youd need to produce these fusion blasts several times per second. But thats exactly what Marvel Fusion plans to do. Colorado State University will develop one of the lasers....

Most nations have committed to drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to dial back the planets thermostat. But truesustainabilityis not just about emissions. The great green transition necessitates innovation. It calls for new, clean technologies and the scaling of proven ones. It requires industry leaders, disruptive innovators, and ambitiousstartupsto create the blueprints for a sustainable world. The sprouts of change are already visible. Climate action is accelerating faster now than ever before....

German teledrivingstartupVay has secured 34mn from the European Investment Bank (EIB). In January, Vay launched acommercial remote-controlled car servicein Las Vegas. Now it wants to roll out the technology on its home turf. In 2023, the company successfully conducted test drives without a safety driver on public roads in Hamburg. Vay says it has been working closely with authorities to launch a commercial service in the German city. It’s free, every week, in your inbox....

People on land were grappling with flooded homes, closed roads, and landslides. CorPower claims its tech is at least five times more efficient than the previous state-of-the-art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Thats only enough to supply around 1,000 homes. And the Swedish venture believes its technology has what it takes to do just that. This vital organ only uses energy when it contracts and pushes blood out and into the body....

Stockholm-based node.vc has closed a 71mn fund to back early-stagestartupsin the Nordics. The devaluation of employee stock options and increasing layoffs have sparked fresh entrepreneurial energy, he added. The fund is sector-agnostic. This means that any startup with innovative technology can apply. Node.vc aims to build a portfolio of 22-26 investments. Led by former founders and startup veterans, the VC firm boasts what it labels a founder-first approach. The aim is to accelerate growth and increase a startups probability of success....