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Exactly 65 years since the first Barbie doll was released, the Barbie Phone has finally arrived.  As you might expect, the flip-phone is pink. Very pink. And it comes with all sorts of glittery extras so you can bedazzle it to your heart’s content — and relive some late-90s Barbie nostalgia.  The phone is also dumb. Very dumb. No social media, no apps — just good ol’ fashioned SMS and calls. But that’s the point.   “It is the perfect tool to live your best life and take a vacation from your smartphone,” said its creators, Finnish company Human Mobile Devices…This story continues at The Next Web

Exactly 65 years since the first Barbie doll was released, the Barbie Phone has finally arrived.  As you might expect, the flip-phone is pink. Very pink. And it comes with all sorts of glittery extras so you can bedazzle it to your heart’s content — and relive some late-90s Barbie nostalgia.  The phone is also dumb. Very dumb. No social media, no apps — just good ol’ fashioned SMS and calls. But that’s the point.   “It is the perfect tool to live your best life and take a vacation from your smartphone,” said its creators, Finnish company Human Mobile Devices…

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Copenhagen-based Tiimo has raised an additional $1.6mn in funding to expand its app supporting neurodivergent individuals in their daily life. Neurodivergent individuals — those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences — make up about 15% to 20% the population. However, tailored tools to boost productivity and daily life management for people who think differently are still insufficient. Tiimo is on a mission to change this. Behind the startup are Helene Lassen Nørlem and Melissa Würtz Azari, who herself has ADHD. The female duo founded the company in 2015 with the aim of developing a neurodivergent tool kit. Tiimo…This story continues at The Next Web

Copenhagen-based Tiimo has raised an additional $1.6mn in funding to expand its app supporting neurodivergent individuals in their daily life. Neurodivergent individuals — those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences — make up about 15% to 20% the population. However, tailored tools to boost productivity and daily life management for people who think differently are still insufficient. Tiimo is on a mission to change this. Behind the startup are Helene Lassen Nørlem and Melissa Würtz Azari, who herself has ADHD. The female duo founded the company in 2015 with the aim of developing a neurodivergent tool kit. Tiimo…

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Spectricity has a new target for the startup’s “true colour” camera: skin care analysis. The Belgian company has signed a deal with Korea’s Lululab to develop the application. Together, the partners plan to create a new generation of smart skin care on mobile devices. Spectricity’s unique camera system will collect the underlying images. The tiny snapper is powered by a multispectral sensor, which measures light from 16 colour channels. Standard smartphone cameras, by contrast, rely on RGB sensors that capture only red, green, and blue. “Even though there’s a lot of processing power behind these cameras, none can recognise true colour,” Spectricity’s…This story continues at The Next Web

Spectricity has a new target for the startup’s “true colour” camera: skin care analysis. The Belgian company has signed a deal with Korea’s Lululab to develop the application. Together, the partners plan to create a new generation of smart skin care on mobile devices. Spectricity’s unique camera system will collect the underlying images. The tiny snapper is powered by a multispectral sensor, which measures light from 16 colour channels. Standard smartphone cameras, by contrast, rely on RGB sensors that capture only red, green, and blue. “Even though there’s a lot of processing power behind these cameras, none can recognise true colour,” Spectricity’s…

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 Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about a silent hangar in the UK, the fate of Boeing Starliner, the detention of Pavel Durov in France, renewable energy and Iceland, and a few things in between. You’ll also hear an interview with Andreas Saari, co-founder and co-CEO of Paebbl, a startup that — very simply speaking — stores captured CO₂ in building materials,…This story continues at The Next Web

 Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about a silent hangar in the UK, the fate of Boeing Starliner, the detention of Pavel Durov in France, renewable energy and Iceland, and a few things in between. You’ll also hear an interview with Andreas Saari, co-founder and co-CEO of Paebbl, a startup that — very simply speaking — stores captured CO₂ in building materials,…

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The cumulative value of Europe’s active unicorns now sits at €447.4bn — 3% higher than in 2023, according to a new report from Pitchbook. The report also found that unicorn deal value continued to show signs of recovery during the second quarter of 2024. Specifically, it jumped from €1bn in Q1 to €2.4bn in Q2. The continuous valuation growth of 2024 implies a 12.3% increase for the full year from 2023. Deal count is following the same upward trend. The first half of the year has already seen 28 unicorn deals compared to 39 for the whole of 2023. The medial…This story continues at The Next Web

The cumulative value of Europe’s active unicorns now sits at €447.4bn — 3% higher than in 2023, according to a new report from Pitchbook. The report also found that unicorn deal value continued to show signs of recovery during the second quarter of 2024. Specifically, it jumped from €1bn in Q1 to €2.4bn in Q2. The continuous valuation growth of 2024 implies a 12.3% increase for the full year from 2023. Deal count is following the same upward trend. The first half of the year has already seen 28 unicorn deals compared to 39 for the whole of 2023. The medial…

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Google’s plans for a third data centre in Dublin have hit a snag. Unimpressed by the lack of on-site renewable energy sources to power the facility, the South Dublin County Council today announced it had refused the tech giant’s expansion scheme.  Along with many other tech firms, Google has its European headquarters in the Irish capital, and currently employs around 5,000 people in the country. It also already has two data centre facilities at the Grange Castle business park, situated south west of the city centre. The company first announced its plans for a third, 72,400 sqm, centre adjacent to…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: Google

Google’s plans for a third data centre in Dublin have hit a snag. Unimpressed by the lack of on-site renewable energy sources to power the facility, the South Dublin County Council today announced it had refused the tech giant’s expansion scheme.  Along with many other tech firms, Google has its European headquarters in the Irish capital, and currently employs around 5,000 people in the country. It also already has two data centre facilities at the Grange Castle business park, situated south west of the city centre. The company first announced its plans for a third, 72,400 sqm, centre adjacent to…

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Or just read more coverage about: Google

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Volkswagen has teamed up with gaming platform AirConsole to make multiplayer games part of the in-car experience for European drivers and passengers. AirConsole offers a large number of casual games, ranging from racing and sports to puzzles and quizzes. The German carmaker expects to launch the feature in the first European countries in September. It will add more countries by the end of the year. The vehicle lineup includes several EVs (ID.7, ID.5, ID.4, and ID.3) as well as the new Passat, Tiguan, Golf, and Golf Estate — which come as hybrids. For safety reasons, the games will only be…This story continues at The Next Web

Volkswagen has teamed up with gaming platform AirConsole to make multiplayer games part of the in-car experience for European drivers and passengers. AirConsole offers a large number of casual games, ranging from racing and sports to puzzles and quizzes. The German carmaker expects to launch the feature in the first European countries in September. It will add more countries by the end of the year. The vehicle lineup includes several EVs (ID.7, ID.5, ID.4, and ID.3) as well as the new Passat, Tiguan, Golf, and Golf Estate — which come as hybrids. For safety reasons, the games will only be…

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French prosecutors have shed further light on the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Durov was apprehended on Saturday at Le Bourget Airport near Paris after landing on his private jet. The Russia-born billionaire — a dual citizen of France and the UAE — was detained over alleged offences related to Telegram. Durov and his brother Nikolai launched the messaging and social media app in 2013. With almost 1 billion users, the platform has become immensely popular. But it’s also a magnet for controversy. Supporters laud the platform as a bastion for free speech. Critics counter that it’s a haven for…This story continues at The Next Web

French prosecutors have shed further light on the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Durov was apprehended on Saturday at Le Bourget Airport near Paris after landing on his private jet. The Russia-born billionaire — a dual citizen of France and the UAE — was detained over alleged offences related to Telegram. Durov and his brother Nikolai launched the messaging and social media app in 2013. With almost 1 billion users, the platform has become immensely popular. But it’s also a magnet for controversy. Supporters laud the platform as a bastion for free speech. Critics counter that it’s a haven for…

This story continues at The Next Web

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As generative AI continues to evolve at a rapid pace, programmers face a new challenge: mastering meaningful artificial intelligence. It seems that every workplace is pushing towards leveraging the technology — some with more consideration and ethics than others. From task forces to entirely new teams, everyone from scrappy startups to tech behemoths wants a piece of the AI action. A quick look around reveals why: while global stock market turbulence has affected some of the biggest names in tech, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Meta in recent weeks, others, such as Adobe and Amazon, are enjoying a more optimistic investment…This story continues at The Next Web

As generative AI continues to evolve at a rapid pace, programmers face a new challenge: mastering meaningful artificial intelligence. It seems that every workplace is pushing towards leveraging the technology — some with more consideration and ethics than others. From task forces to entirely new teams, everyone from scrappy startups to tech behemoths wants a piece of the AI action. A quick look around reveals why: while global stock market turbulence has affected some of the biggest names in tech, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Meta in recent weeks, others, such as Adobe and Amazon, are enjoying a more optimistic investment…

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A group of six entrepreneurs and angel investors have announced today the launch of their first fund, aiming to support Dutch early-stage tech startups. Named the Dutch Operator Fund I, it has raised €2mn in capital. The amount is provided by the team itself, as well as a loan from the Seed Business Angel scheme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Investments will range between €75K and €200K, with the possibility of follow-up funding. The fund targets startups in the (pre-)seed phase. “There is a need for this in our country, because for many institutional investors, investing in this stage…This story continues at The Next Web

A group of six entrepreneurs and angel investors have announced today the launch of their first fund, aiming to support Dutch early-stage tech startups. Named the Dutch Operator Fund I, it has raised €2mn in capital. The amount is provided by the team itself, as well as a loan from the Seed Business Angel scheme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Investments will range between €75K and €200K, with the possibility of follow-up funding. The fund targets startups in the (pre-)seed phase. “There is a need for this in our country, because for many institutional investors, investing in this stage…

This story continues at The Next Web

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