Billionaire Thiele, Lufthansa& rsquo;s biggest investor, dies at 79
Berlin, Germany—German billionaire Heinz Hermann Thiele, the biggest shareholder in Lufthansa airline, died Tuesday aged 79, announced Knorr-Bremse, the company through which he built his fortune......»»
Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of one of cryptocurrency's biggest exchanges, began Tuesday with a jury set to determine if he committed massive fraud by stealing billions of dollars from clients. The 31-year-old -- once one of the most respected figures in crypto -- now faces decades in prison and could see his name stand alongside Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes as the era's most prominent fraudsters. The first day of the trial was devoted to jury selection for a case that is set to last about six weeks. Bankman-Fried faces seven counts including wire fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and money laundering. He risks more than 100 years behind bars if he is found guilty on all charges. Bankman-Fried entered the courtroom alone -- without being escorted by security guards -- uncuffed, and took his place alongside his lawyers, an AFP journalist observed. Dressed in a dark suit and striped tie, his usually long curly hair was cut short, reportedly by a fellow inmate at the Brooklyn jail where he is being detained. "You have the right to testify in your defense in this case. The decision is up to you," US District Judge Lewis Kaplan told Bankman Fried. In just a few years, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate turned his FTX platform into the world's second-biggest crypto exchange, making him a tech world billionaire wunderkind. FTX became a global name through a marketing campaign that included celebrity partnerships with stars such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball legend Stephen Curry, and buying the naming rights for the home arena of the Miami Heat basketball club. Bankman-Fried also stepped in as a kind of savior of the industry when other crypto companies faced difficulties, with FTX swooping in to offer a financial lifeline. At the height of his career, Bankman-Fried was thought to be worth $26 billion as he attracted droves of small investors to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. But his steep rise was matched by his ignominious downfall, which saw him escorted last year by police from his luxury apartment in the Bahamas and extradited to face charges in the United States. 'Gambling at own casino' His empire began to crumble last November when a news report pointed to unhealthy ties between the FTX platform and Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's personally owned-trading company. The revelations kept growing and major investors pulled their money out of FTX, sinking it swiftly into bankruptcy. Once the dust had settled, some $8.7 billion in client funds was still unaccounted for and Bankman-Fried was accused of using FTX deposits to buy luxury real estate or donate more than $100 million to US politicians through Alameda. "He was gambling in his own casino and it created conflicts of interest," Michael Lewis, an author who followed Bankman-Fried closely during the period, told CBS. Everything "unravels because the depositors at FTX want their money back and it's not all there," the author of "Liar's Poker" and other titles added. The climax of the trial is expected to be when his former friends and colleagues take the stand, including Carlonie Ellison, his one-time romantic partner and Alameda executive, and Gary Wang, his closest associate. Ellison and Wang have also been indicted in the case and agreed to cooperate with US authorities, which may prove Bankman-Fried's undoing. After his spectacular arrest in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was initially held under house arrest but was ordered behind bars in August over alleged attempts at witness intimidation. According to prosecutors, while holed up at his parents' home in California, Bankman-Fried spoke regularly to journalists and passed documents to The New York Times in an effort to influence the testimony of Ellison. The post Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history
A Portuguese court was due on Monday to deliver its verdict on hacker Rui Pinto, whose flood of "Football Leaks" revelations exposed dirty dealings in international football. It was the biggest information leak in sports history and sparked criminal investigations in Belgium, Britain, France, Spain and Switzerland. The verdict, which has been postponed several times, was due to be delivered at a hearing in Lisbon starting at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT). Pinto, 34, is charged with 89 hacking offences, and with attempted extortion, a crime punishable in Portugal by between two and 10 years in prison. He argues he is a whistleblower, whose actions exposed underhand dealings involving top football stars, clubs and agents. Between 2015 and 2018, he shared 18.6 million documents on the internet and with a consortium of European newspapers, which published details. The revelations shook the football world. They included the salaries of Lionel Messi and Neymar, an accusation of rape against Cristiano Ronaldo, alleged financial sleight of hand at Manchester City and ethnic profiling at Paris Saint Germain. Defendant and witness Pinto is both a defendant and a protected witness in Portugal. When his trial began in September 2020, Pinto told the court he had been shocked by what he had discovered and was proud of bringing it to public knowledge. But he has admitted he used illegal means to obtain documents. His alleged victims include top Portuguese football club Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese Football Federation, lawyers, magistrates and Doyen Sports -- a Malta-based investment fund run by Kazakh-Turkish oligarchs. Pinto was arrested in Hungary in 2019 and extradited to Portugal, where he spent a year behind bars before agreeing to cooperate with the Portuguese authorities on other cases, giving them access to encrypted documents he had obtained. The French authorities have also sought his cooperation over the "Luanda Leaks", a release of 715,000 documents providing compromising information on Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Dos Santos, once the richest woman in Africa, has faced several court cases on charges she syphoned billions of dollars from Angolan state companies during her father's four decades in office. The post Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
South African rhino farm, world’s largest, bought by NGO
The largest rhino farm in the world, which is home to 2,000 animals and located in South Africa, has been bought by the NGO African Parks, the organization said Monday. Home to nearly 80 percent of the world's rhinoceroses, South Africa is a poaching hotspot, driven by demand from Asia, where horns are used in traditional medicine for their supposed therapeutic effect. The government said 448 of the rare animals were killed across the country last year, only three fewer than in 2021 despite increased protection at national parks such as the renowned Kruger. "African Parks has stepped in as the new owner of the world's largest private captive rhino breeding operation," the conservation NGO said in the statement. The NGO will take over the 7,800 hectare "Platinum Rhino" site in the North West province, which it says currently is home to 15 percent of the world's remaining wild population of southern white rhino. The rhino farm was previously owned by 81-year-old South African conservationist John Hume, who auctioned the property earlier this year. Although he said he was looking for a "billionaire" to take it over, African Parks said that no offers were received, leaving the rhinos at "great risk of poaching". The NGO said it received from the South Africa government. Hume told AFP in an interview before the sale that through the years he had lavished around $150 million on his massive philanthropic project to save the world's second largest land mammal. Security and surveillance was the farm's biggest cost, he said. African Parks, which manages 22 protected areas across the continent, says it plans to return 2,000 southern white rhino to the wild over the next 10 years. The species was hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century but gradually recovered thanks to decades of protection and breeding efforts. The post South African rhino farm, world’s largest, bought by NGO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Elon Musk lifts political ad ban at rebranded Twitter
Elon Musk on Tuesday lifted a ban on political ads put in place at Twitter to thwart misinformation before the billionaire bought the platform now called X. Welcoming back potentially misleading political messages at X came less than a week after former president Donald Trump posted there for the first time since January 2021. Trump posted his police mugshot after his arrest in Georgia, signaling his return to a platform that was his favorite bullhorn during his years in the White House. It was his first post since several days after the insurrection at the US Capitol that saw an enraged mob of his supporters attempt to block Joe Biden's certification as president. The then-Twitter permanently suspended Trump after the 6 January riot, ruling he had violated the platform's policy on glorifying violence as he pressed his false claims that the election was stolen from him. Musk, who bought the platform last year, reinstated the former president in November 2022, but Trump stayed away, choosing to reach his followers on his own platform, Truth Social, albeit with a much smaller audience. X said in a blog post that allowing political ads, starting in the United States, was "building on our commitment to free expression." X policies prohibit the promotion of false or misleading information, including bogus claims intended to undermine confidence in an election, the blog contended. Trump's recent mug shot post came with a caption reading "Election interference." A judge on Monday set March 4, 2024, for Trump's election subversion conspiracy trial -- placing one of the biggest criminal cases in American history at the height of the next White House race. X said it is expanding its safety and elections teams to focus on combating manipulation of the platform and will provide an online center where political ads can be reviewed. Musk slashed staffing after buying Twitter, raising concerns about its ability to moderate content and reliably function. X said it is updating its Civic Integrity Policy for safeguarding elections to tackle content meant to intimidate or deceive voters while aligning with Musk's philosophy of letting people say what they want. "X shouldn't determine the truthfulness of disputed information," the platform said in the blog post. "Rather, we should empower our users to express their opinions and openly debate during elections, in line with our commitment to protecting freedom of expression." The post Elon Musk lifts political ad ban at rebranded Twitter appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Elon Musk lifts political ad ban at rebranded Twitter
Elon Musk on Tuesday lifted a ban on political ads put in place at Twitter to thwart misinformation before the billionaire bought the platform now called X. Welcoming back potentially misleading political messages at X came less than a week after former president Donald Trump posted there for the first time since January 2021. Trump posted his police mugshot after his arrest in Georgia, signaling his return to a platform that was his favorite bullhorn during his years in the White House. It was his first post since several days after the insurrection at the US Capitol that saw an enraged mob of his supporters attempt to block Joe Biden's certification as president. The then-Twitter permanently suspended Trump after the 6 January riot, ruling he had violated the platform's policy on glorifying violence as he pressed his false claims that the election was stolen from him. Musk, who bought the platform last year, reinstated the former president in November 2022, but Trump stayed away, choosing to reach his followers on his own platform, Truth Social, albeit with a much smaller audience. X said in a blog post that allowing political ads, starting in the United States, was "building on our commitment to free expression." X policies prohibit the promotion of false or misleading information, including bogus claims intended to undermine confidence in an election, the blog contended. Trump's recent mug shot post came with a caption reading "Election interference." A judge on Monday set 4 March 2024 for Trump's election subversion conspiracy trial -- placing one of the biggest criminal cases in American history at the height of the next White House race. X said it is expanding its safety and elections teams to focus on combating manipulation of the platform and will provide an online center where political ads can be reviewed. Musk slashed staffing after buying Twitter, raising concerns about its ability to moderate content and reliably function. X said it is updating its Civic Integrity Policy for safeguarding elections to tackle content meant to intimidate or deceive voters while aligning with Musk's philosophy of letting people say what they want. "X shouldn't determine the truthfulness of disputed information," the platform said in the blog post. "Rather, we should empower our users to express their opinions and openly debate during elections, in line with our commitment to protecting freedom of expression." The post Elon Musk lifts political ad ban at rebranded Twitter appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia launches first Moon mission in nearly 50 years
Russia launched its first probe to the Moon in almost 50 years on Friday, a mission designed to give fresh impetus to its space sector, which has been struggling for years and become isolated by the conflict in Ukraine. The launch of the Luna-25 probe is Moscow's first lunar mission since 1976, when the USSR was a pioneer in the conquest of space. The rocket with the Luna-25 probe lifted off at 02:10 am Moscow time (2310 GMT Thursday) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to live images broadcast by the Russian space agency Roscosmos. The spacecraft is due to reach lunar orbit in five days. It will then spend between three and seven days choosing the right spot before landing in the lunar south pole area. "For the first time in history, the lunar landing will take place on the lunar south pole. Until now, everyone has been landing in the equatorial zone," senior Roscosmos official Alexander Blokhin said in a recent interview. Roscosmos expects the probe to land on the Moon around August 21, a source in the agency told AFP. 'The ambition of our ancestors' The spacecraft, which will remain on the Moon for a year, will be tasked with "taking (samples) and analysing the soil" as well as "conducting long-term scientific research", the Russian space agency said. The launch is the first mission in Russia's new lunar programme, which gets underway at a time when Roscosmos is being deprived of its partnerships with the West amid the conflict with Ukraine. According to Russian space expert Vitali Iegorov, the mission is the first time that post-Soviet Russia has attempted to place a device on a celestial body. "The biggest question will be: can it land?" he told AFP, stressing that this mission is "of great importance" for Russia. President Vladimir Putin has pledged to continue Russia's space programme despite sanctions, pointing to the USSR's sending of the first man into space in 1961, at a time of escalating East-West tensions. "We are guided by the ambition of our ancestors to move forward, despite difficulties and external attempts to prevent us from doing so," Putin said at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last year. The mission is important for the Russian space sector, which is suffering from funding problems, corruption scandals and increasing competition from the United States and China, as well as from private initiatives such as billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX. The post Russia launches first Moon mission in nearly 50 years appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
French paper launches first edition under far-right editor
France's only national Sunday newspaper this weekend published its first edition under the leadership of a controversial far-right editor, whose appointment had prompted an unprecedented and lengthy staff walkout. Geoffroy Lejeune's appointment to the post of editor-in-chief at the Journal du Dimanche, one of France's biggest-selling papers, triggered a mass strike by staff that lasted 40 days and only ended on Tuesday. A large number of employees are expected to resign in protest at the arrival of Lejeune, whose rise to prominence underlines the rightwards shift of the country's media and politics. Sunday's publication came as a surprise as it had been scheduled to appear in mid-August, ending several weeks of paralysis and missed issues since staff walked out on June 22. The 32-page edition of the paper, which is an institution in France known for high-profile interviews across the political spectrum, devoted its front page to insecurity and judicial issues following the fatal knifing of a 15-year-old boy in northwest France in July. Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, France's new secretary of state for cities, was the first member of the government to grant an interview to the JDD under its new leadership. The edition was produced mainly by freelance journalists and "volunteers". Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said the strike was the longest in French media history since a 28-month stoppage by staff at Le Parisien daily that began in 1975. Lejeune, 34, was until recently editor of far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles, which in 2021 was found guilty of racist hate speech. He endorsed provocative far-right media commentator Eric Zemmour during the latter's campaign to become president last year. The Lagardere Group -- which owns the JDD, Paris Match magazine, and Europe 1 radio -- is being taken over by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, who is reported to hold ultra-conservative views. Bollore, a conservative Catholic, has been expanding his empire to take in TV channels and now print media. The JDD, which has weekly sales of around 140,000, has in recent years toed a centrist line and been seen as generally sympathetic to the government of President Emmanuel Macron. The post French paper launches first edition under far-right editor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza
Victor Wembanyama is only 19 and has not played a minute in an NBA jersey but the French teenager is poised to land an array of lucrative deals likely to make him one of the most commercially successful athletes in history. Wembanyama will take center stage at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn on Thursday when the gifted 7ft 4in (2.24m) center widely viewed as a once-in-a-generation basketball talent is set to be chosen with the number one pick by the San Antonio Spurs. Already, Wembanyama is being tipped to potentially land an improved $100 million contract with US sporting goods behemoth Nike, eclipsing the $90 million offered to LeBron James when he entered the league in 2003. If the $100 million figure comes to fruition, it would be the biggest contract ever handed to a player who has not yet played in the NBA. Sonny Vaccaro, the legendary 83-year-old marketing executive who signed Michael Jordan to Nike and Kobe Bryant to Adidas, believes Wembanyama's unique talent could command "historic" riches. "This is unique. But a deserved unique," Vaccaro told AFP. "In my lifetime of evaluating and making financial prices for athletes, I've never seen anything like it. This kid will make history." Nike, which already has a deal with Wembanyama, has hinted at its strategy to make the Frenchman a global superstar. "Think (Victor Wembanyama) will change basketball? Think bigger," Nike wrote in a social media post after this year's draft order was revealed last month. Wembanyama's mammoth Nike deal will likely be the first of many, according to Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing, who predicts multi-million dollar deals in areas such as trading cards and other derivative products. Unique endorser "Victor is going to be one of those guys that are going to be able to have a nice endorsement portfolio before he ever plays a second in the NBA," Rosner said. "Because of all the promotion and the hype coming up leading up to this, he'll be a unique endorser as well, as far as being able to have these deals in place before he steps on an NBA court." In decades gone by, such a commercial bonanza for a foreign NBA player would have been unthinkable. Overseas stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol aroused little interest among sponsors. "Madison Avenue prefers an American guy," consultant Marty Blackman remarked in 1995 when commenting on how Olajuwon had failed to earn the sort of endorsement deals enjoyed by American players despite leading Houston to a second straight NBA championship. Victor Matheson, a professor at Holy Cross University, says that began to change in 2002 when China's Yao Ming entered the league. "Yao Ming was important, because not only was he a big name within the US, but he really opened up the Chinese market to the NBA as well," Matheson said. Today, the NBA's overseas fan base is larger than the entire population of the United States. According to Forbes magazine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and an NBA champion in 2021, earns more in off-court deals -- $45 million – than the salary paid to him by the Milwaukee Bucks of $42 million. "Victor can open up new markets," Matheson said. Rosner said Wembanyama's international profile is also likely to make him an attractive pitchman for multinationals such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's or Visa, who all signed deals with Yao. A world game now Twenty years ago, playing for a small-market NBA team such as San Antonio could have potentially diminished Wembanyama's commercial appeal. However, Vaccaro believes the global reach of the NBA and the rise of streaming and social networks have changed the dynamic. "It's a world game now, so it doesn't matter really," said Vaccaro. It may take time for Wembanyama to fully maximize his earning potential, though. The French prodigy and his entourage are in no hurry to cash in immediately. Wembanyama's agent, Bouna Ndiaye, who has represented numerous French NBA stars such as Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, says the priority is basketball. "What we're trying to do, first of all, is make Victor rare," Ndiaye told ESPN. "We don't want him all over the place. We don't want to have 20 partners," Ndiaye said. "Victor is rejecting some rich, million-dollar deals right now because he wants to focus on basketball." Commercial partners, meanwhile, may also be reluctant to "give away the entire company to a player who actually hasn't played a single minute in the NBA", Matheson said. "I suspect they're going to be looking for a little bit more." Rosner, however, believes that if Wembanyama delivers on the court, commercial deals will be a formality. "Once he does everything on the court, then everything off the court will follow," Rosner said. Matheson echoed that position, stating that ultimately Wembanyama's fortune will be maximized through his achievements on the hardwood. "The reason that Jordan has become a billionaire is not that he signed one good deal but because his play over almost two decades meant that he could re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal," Matheson said. "In order to make LeBron James or Michael Jordan sort of money, it's not about signing that first deal. It's about showing what you can do actually on the court." The post NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
European leaders host Musk, chase Tesla investment
Billionaire Elon Musk is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday as part of a European trip, with national leaders jostling for investment from his electric car firm Tesla. The maverick tech titan, who also owns SpaceX and Twitter, met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday, and she later tweeted that they had a "fruitful meeting" discussing "innovation and opportunities". Macron confirmed during a visit to France's biggest technology trade fair VivaTech earlier this week that he would meet the businessman to "tout the attractiveness of France and Europe". Musk will also visit VivaTech later, appearing before an audience of thousands for what is billed as an hour-long "conversation" with the event's French founder Maurice Levy. Musk and Macron held talks in May and afterward, he said he was considering big investments in France. The country's technology minister Jean-Noel Barrot fuelled speculation earlier this week by telling US broadcaster CNBC that "a lot of effort and energy" had been expended to secure a Tesla factory for France. But reports from Spain have claimed that Tesla is planning to build a factory there. The electric carmaker's European footprint is relatively small, having opened its first manufacturing plant in Germany last year. Awkward interviewee Macron gave details of his intentions during a walk around the aisles of VivaTech on Wednesday. "We're going to talk about artificial intelligence, where he is involved, social networks, and regulatory frameworks," he said. "I'm also going to talk to him about cars, batteries, and the sector, to tout the attractiveness of France and Europe." Europe's leaders and plutocrats are desperate to get some face time with Musk -- in Paris, he will meet French fashion magnate Bernard Arnault, with whom he regularly trades the title of "world's richest man". But despite the breadth of Musk's business empire -- his brain implant firm Neuralink recently got US approval to start human tests -- it is his acquisition of social media network Twitter that continues to fascinate and baffle observers. He bought the platform for $43 billion, sacked much of its staff, allowed right-wing conspiracy theorists to return and introduced all sorts of fees and charges. He admits the platform is no longer worth anywhere near the amount he paid. Maurice Levy, who will interview him in an auditorium that holds more than 4,000 people, said Twitter would certainly be on the agenda. But Musk is a notoriously tricky interviewee, prone to lengthy pauses, off-topic rambles, and making coded references to sex and drugs. Levy said he would try to rise to the challenge but told French broadcaster BFMTV he could not pretend to be a journalist. "I'm not looking for a scoop, I'm looking for an explanation, I'm looking to understand," he said. The post European leaders host Musk, chase Tesla investment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pita claims Thai poll victory
Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party claimed victory in the country’s election Monday after a result that decimated military-backed parties that have ruled the kingdom for nearly a decade. A stunning surge for the upstart MFP in Sunday’s ballot left it on course to be the biggest party, followed by its rival opposition — the Pheu Thai movement of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat said he would seek to build a six-party coalition including Pheu Thai. “I am Pita Limjaroenrat, the next prime minister of Thailand,” he told reporters at the MFP headquarters in Bangkok. “We are ready to form the government,” he added, vowing to be a “prime minister for all.” The 42-year-old said he had called Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai’s lead candidate to be prime minister, to congratulate her on her campaign and invite her to join the coalition. Thais turned out in record numbers to deliver a brutal verdict on former coup leader Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, blamed for economic stagnation and a crackdown on rights. Between them, MFP and Pheu Thai are expected to take 292 out of 500 seats in the lower house, with the two main army-allied parties mustering just 76 seats in total. But in a kingdom where coups and court orders have often trumped the ballot box, there are fears that the result may yet be thwarted. MFP has vowed to reform the country’s strict lese-majeste laws, putting it on course for a collision with the powerful royalist-military establishment. The post Pita claims Thai poll victory appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Google answers ChatGPT challenge with Bard expansion
Google on Wednesday said it is opening Bard, a rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, to 180 countries as it expands its use of artificial intelligence across its platform. Executives at an annual Google developers conference in Silicon Valley said that generative AI will also be used to supercharge the tech giant's leading search engine. "We have been applying AI for a while, with generative AI we are taking the next step," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai told thousands of developers gathered for the event. "We are reimagining all our core products, including search," he said. Google is racing to catch up with rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers in a wide array of its products, including the Bing search engine. Microsoft's dash into AI came despite fears about the technology's potential threat to society, including its impact on the spread of disinformation and whether it could make whole categories of jobs obsolete. Cathy Edwards of Google Search said the new experience would be akin to a search that is "supercharged" by a conversational bot. Other Google executives laid out how generative AI is being woven into Gmail, photo editing, online work tools, and more. The company's AI efforts would be carried out in a "bold and responsible" way, senior product director Jack Krawczyk said during a briefing. Google's expansion meant it removed a waitlist for Bard, letting users around the world engage with it in English after months of testing it out in the US and Britain. Bard will be modified to support 40 languages in the coming months, according to Krawczyk. "We're excited to get Bard into more people's hands," Krawczyk said. "We're pretty fired up about where Bard is going." Google also announced browser "extensions" that will imbue apps and services such as Gmail and Maps with AI features. Bard technology will enable features such as filling in the text to help draft emails and suggesting ideas for an artwork by scrutinizing a picture of available supplies. Google is also letting partners build such extensions, including one from Adobe that will let users generate images, Krawczyk said. The tech titan also unveiled new Pixel devices including a $1,799 foldable smartphone with a bendable screen that is the size of a tablet computer when opened. "You're getting the best of both worlds," Google senior vice president of devices Rick Osterloh said of the Fold. "It's a powerful smartphone when it's convenient and an immersive tablet when you need one." Google also added a new tablet and a lower-priced version of its flagship smartphone to the Pixel lineup. Risky tech? Google's announcements came a week after rival Microsoft expanded public access to its generative artificial intelligence programs, which are powered by models made by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The AI-enhanced features of the company's Bing search engine and Edge internet browser became open to anyone. The services have been enhanced with the ability to work with images as well as text, and Microsoft intends to add video to the mix. Despite the rollouts by two of the world's biggest companies, risks from AI include its potential uses for disinformation, with voice clones, deep-fake videos, and convincing written messages. A range of experts in March urged a pause in the development of powerful AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe. Their open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people, including billionaire Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by generative AI technology from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI. A prominent computer scientist often dubbed "the godfather of artificial intelligence" recently quit his job at Google to speak out about the dangers of the technology. Geoffrey Hinton, who created some of the technology underlying AI systems, maintained that the existential threat from AI is "serious and close." The post Google answers ChatGPT challenge with Bard expansion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SpaceX tests biggest rocket
SpaceX is counting down to the first test flight on Monday of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, designed to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars and beyond. The giant rocket is scheduled to blast off from Starbase, the SpaceX spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8 a.m. Central Time. Fallback times are scheduled for later in the week if Monday’s launch attempt is delayed — something billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk said is a distinct possibility. “It’s a very risky flight,” Musk said in a live event on Twitter Spaces on Sunday. “It’s the first launch of a very complicated, gigantic rocket. “There’s a million ways this rocket could fail,” he added. “We’re going to be very careful and if we see anything that gives us concern, we’ll postpone.” The US space agency NASA has picked the Starship spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the Moon in late 2025 — a mission known as Artemis III — for the first time since the Apollo program ended in 1972. Starship consists of a 50-meter tall spacecraft designed to carry crew and cargo that sits atop a 70-meter tall first-stage Super Heavy booster rocket. It generates 17 million pounds of thrust, more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon. If all goes according to plan, the SHB will separate from Starship about three minutes after launch and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, which has six engines of its own, will continue to an altitude of nearly 241 kilometers, completing a near-circle of the Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean about 90 minutes after launch. “If it gets to orbit, that’s a massive success,” Musk said. The post SpaceX tests biggest rocket appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Billionaire Thiele, Lufthansa& rsquo;s biggest investor, dies at 79
Berlin, Germany—German billionaire Heinz Hermann Thiele, the biggest shareholder in Lufthansa airline, died Tuesday aged 79, announced Knorr-Bremse, the company through which he built his fortune......»»
Kakao& rsquo;s income surges as founder pledges giveaway
Seoul, South Korea—The operator of South Korea’s biggest mobile messenger KakaoTalk posted coronavirus-boosted record quarterly profits Tuesday, a day after its billionaire founder pledged to give away more than half his wealth......»»
Record profits for South Korea s Kakao as founder pledges giveaway
The operator of South Korea's biggest mobile messenger KakaoTalk posted coronavirus-boosted record quarterly profits Tuesday, a day after its billionaire founder pledged to give away more than half his wealth......»»
College Dropout to Billionaire: Edgar Sia of Mang Inasal
In the road to success, self doubt will always be the number one enemy. As they say, your mind could be your ally or your greatest adversary. In that sense, Mang Inasal’s founder overcame all odds and adversaries and went on to become Philippines’s biggest barbecue fast food chain has around 500 stores nationwide. The […].....»»
Tothapi may bagong single, ka-join na sa Sony Music family
LEVEL up ang breakthrough Bicol-based band na Tothapi! Sila kasi ang pinakabagong pamilya ng Sony Music Entertainment na kinabibilangan ng ilan sa mga biggest OPM acts ng bansa, katulad ng Ben&Ben, SB19, Denise Julia, Clara Benin, Ace Banzuelo, The Itchyworms, Sponge Cola, at marami pang iba. “It has been an amazing ride with Sony Music.....»»
Girl, 4, dies after being hit by SUV
A four-year-old girl died after she was hit by a sport utility vehicle in Quezon City on Tuesday afternoon......»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»
Cebu bus terminals: 100,000 passengers expected on March 27
CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 100,000 passengers are expected to flock to two of the biggest bus terminals here in Cebu for the Holy Week this year. As early as 7 a.m. on Holy Wednesday, dozens already queued for buses at the Cebu North Bus Terminal (CNBT) in the North Reclamation Area. READ MORE:.....»»