First lunar mission in over 50 years ready for take off, Nscale faces backlash over Microsoft data centre
The rocket is ready, the astronauts say they are ready and, by Wednesday, they could be off. The crew of Artemis II, the first lunar mission in more than fifty years, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. They are: commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Cook and Jeremy Hansen. They themselves won’t be setting foot on the moon but it’s hoped their 10-day flight will prove surface exploration is not far away. Mission specialist Christina Cook has spent 11 months in orbit before, taking part in the first all female space walk. She said: “We have the opportunity to see parts of the far side of the moon with human eyes that have never been seen before. ITV
Keir Starmer has backed banning addictive social media features in his strongest intervention yet on curbs that could be placed on tech companies, saying the features “shouldn’t be permitted”. The prime minister said the government was “going to have to act” on the algorithms that hook young people and children to social media, such as scrolling or “streaks” that encourage daily usage of apps. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said social media was “designed to keep you there” and that the government’s consultation on use of social media would look closely at how addictive features could be tackled. Guardian
One of Britain’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) startups is facing a backlash over plans to build a data centre for Microsoft after local officials raised fears it would drive up energy costs for residents. Nscale, which counts Sir Nick Clegg as a board member, has been hit with objections in Essex over concerns the power-hungry energy demands of the site will strain the local electricity grid. The planned data centre, built on a former scaffolding warehouse in Loughton, has been billed as “the UK’s largest AI supercomputer” and will be backed by 50 megawatts of AI processors. Telegraph
There are always a few reasons people give for not buying a foldable phone. Some — price, battery life, camera quality — are mostly a matter of manufacturers balancing spec sheets to offset the added cost of the folding hardware. Others — durability, size — were practical design problems that have mostly been solved. But the crease always felt different, fundamental: something that foldables would be stuck with no matter what. Oppo disagrees. It claims that the Find N6 is the first foldable with a “zero-feel” crease, one so subtle that you can hardly tell it’s there. And while there’s just a hint of marketing exaggeration there, Oppo isn’t too far off. The Verge
Sweeping job cuts at Big Tech companies have become an annual tradition. How executives explain those decisions, however, has changed. Out are buzzwords like efficiency, over-hiring, and too many management layers. Today, all explanations stem from artificial intelligence (AI). In recent weeks, giants including Google, Amazon, Meta, as well as smaller firms such as Pinterest and Atlassian, have all announced or warned of plans to shrink their workforce, pointing to developments in AI that they say are allowing their firms to do more with fewer people. BBC
View this post on Instagram
We’ve seen plenty of leaks around the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 in recent weeks, and a fresh batch of unverified images of the vlogging camera hit the web — as well as hints that the device is going to go on sale on Monday, April 20. Colombian retailer DroneTech has posted pictures and video of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 to its social media channels (via Notebookcheck), as well as hinting at that date. While we can’t confirm the posts actually show the camera, it looks to be the real thing.
Discover more from Tech Digest
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
