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A British startup today unveiled new AI humans that blur the line between the virtual and the real. Synthesia calls the digital beings “Expressive Avatars.” They promise the most realistic emotional expressions on the market.  Generated by an AI model that’s trained on footage of real actors, the avatars are built for video creation. Users simply enter a text prompt and the synthetic humans read them out on a screen. The photorealistic renders are certainly impressive. But what makes them unique is their capacity to convey human feelings. Using a technique called “automatic sentiment prediction,” Synthesia’s AI models infer the…This story continues at The Next Web

A British startup today unveiled new AI humans that blur the line between the virtual and the real. Synthesia calls the digital beings “Expressive Avatars.” They promise the most realistic emotional expressions on the market.  Generated by an AI model that’s trained on footage of real actors, the avatars are built for video creation. Users simply enter a text prompt and the synthetic humans read them out on a screen. The photorealistic renders are certainly impressive. But what makes them unique is their capacity to convey human feelings. Using a technique called “automatic sentiment prediction,” Synthesia’s AI models infer the…

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Dutch car-sharing platform SnappCar, which claims to be the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, has been fully acquired by AutoBinck Group — a shareholder in the scaleup since its founding in 2011. The ownership change also sees the return of SnappCar’s founder, Victor van Tol, in the role of the CEO. Van Told told local newspaper mt/sprout that the acquisition will enable faster decisions and eliminate the need for external investments. AutoBinck, which specialises in mobility and energy solutions, has a turnover of approximately €1bn. According to the two companies, the deal aims to support SnappCar’s further growth.…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: Airbnb

Dutch car-sharing platform SnappCar, which claims to be the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, has been fully acquired by AutoBinck Group — a shareholder in the scaleup since its founding in 2011. The ownership change also sees the return of SnappCar’s founder, Victor van Tol, in the role of the CEO. Van Told told local newspaper mt/sprout that the acquisition will enable faster decisions and eliminate the need for external investments. AutoBinck, which specialises in mobility and energy solutions, has a turnover of approximately €1bn. According to the two companies, the deal aims to support SnappCar’s further growth.…

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A startup promising “universal AI compute” has joined France’s thriving artificial intelligence sector. Paris-based FlexAI emerged from stealth today with a €28.5mn war chest and an ambitious plan to “unlock the future of machine intelligence.” To pick that lock, FlexAI is rearchitecting compute infrastructure. The plan’s centrepiece is an on-demand cloud service. Set to launch later this year, the product will enable developers to build and train AI applications with heterogeneous compute architectures. A software layer in the service will abstract and orchestrate the workload to the optimal architecture.  The service is designed to maximise efficiency and simplicity. By providing…This story continues at The Next Web

A startup promising “universal AI compute” has joined France’s thriving artificial intelligence sector. Paris-based FlexAI emerged from stealth today with a €28.5mn war chest and an ambitious plan to “unlock the future of machine intelligence.” To pick that lock, FlexAI is rearchitecting compute infrastructure. The plan’s centrepiece is an on-demand cloud service. Set to launch later this year, the product will enable developers to build and train AI applications with heterogeneous compute architectures. A software layer in the service will abstract and orchestrate the workload to the optimal architecture.  The service is designed to maximise efficiency and simplicity. By providing…

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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, Ioanna and Andrii talk about the potentially good news about ASML’s future in the Netherlands, the latest developments at Stability AI, carbon capture solutions, and much more. The guest of the show is Sebastian Aristotelis, whose title is co-founder and Lead Architect at SAGA Space Architects, a Danish company that is building human habitats to use on other planets.  Here are…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, Ioanna and Andrii talk about the potentially good news about ASML’s future in the Netherlands, the latest developments at Stability AI, carbon capture solutions, and much more. The guest of the show is Sebastian Aristotelis, whose title is co-founder and Lead Architect at SAGA Space Architects, a Danish company that is building human habitats to use on other planets.  Here are…

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It’s safe to say that the age of generative AI is well and truly upon us, rapidly changing the world of work as we know it. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, more than 75% of companies are looking to adopt technologies like AI in the next five years, so it’s no surprise that career opportunities in the space are exploding, especially for developers. But which programming language is leading the way? Python is without a doubt the most buzzed-about language for AI development. However, a decent programmer can work with AI in nearly any…This story continues at The Next Web

It’s safe to say that the age of generative AI is well and truly upon us, rapidly changing the world of work as we know it. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, more than 75% of companies are looking to adopt technologies like AI in the next five years, so it’s no surprise that career opportunities in the space are exploding, especially for developers. But which programming language is leading the way? Python is without a doubt the most buzzed-about language for AI development. However, a decent programmer can work with AI in nearly any…

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A British startup aims to launch science satellites into space in 2025 after raising a fresh £2mn. Blue Skies Space has devised a unique business plan for the stargazers. They will be the first-ever science satellites that provide data directly to researchers via a membership model, the company said. The approach offers a new route to the secrets of our universe. Currently, researchers rely on government agencies such as NASA and ESA to access space data. Unfortunately, this supply doesn’t meet the demand. The James Webb Telescope, for instance, received 1,600 requests for observing time. Only of them 249 were selected. That equates to…This story continues at The Next Web

A British startup aims to launch science satellites into space in 2025 after raising a fresh £2mn. Blue Skies Space has devised a unique business plan for the stargazers. They will be the first-ever science satellites that provide data directly to researchers via a membership model, the company said. The approach offers a new route to the secrets of our universe. Currently, researchers rely on government agencies such as NASA and ESA to access space data. Unfortunately, this supply doesn’t meet the demand. The James Webb Telescope, for instance, received 1,600 requests for observing time. Only of them 249 were selected. That equates to…

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In a major win for the Dutch tech industry, chip giant ASML intends to remain and further expand in the Netherlands. The chip machine manufacturer has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the City Council of Eindhoven, eyeing a potential expansion at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC), west of the city. Located at Eindhoven’s Brainport region — a major tech and innovation hub in Europe — BIC is dedicated to the high-tech manufacturing industry. For ASML, BIC represents an “interesting option,” Roger Dassen, the company’s CFO, said in a statement. That’s because of the campus’ close proximity to Veldhoven, where…This story continues at The Next Web

In a major win for the Dutch tech industry, chip giant ASML intends to remain and further expand in the Netherlands. The chip machine manufacturer has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the City Council of Eindhoven, eyeing a potential expansion at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC), west of the city. Located at Eindhoven’s Brainport region — a major tech and innovation hub in Europe — BIC is dedicated to the high-tech manufacturing industry. For ASML, BIC represents an “interesting option,” Roger Dassen, the company’s CFO, said in a statement. That’s because of the campus’ close proximity to Veldhoven, where…

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Yesterday, the EU issued TikTok an ultimatum. The Chinese-owned social media app was given just 24 hours to outline the mental health risks related to its new app TikTok Lite or face huge daily fines. This is the EU’s second probe into TikTok under the Digital Service Act (DSA). The DSA is a new law to protect users from harmful or illegal online content. It requires large platforms like TikTok to submit a risk assessment before launching any major new features. The EU’s latest gripe with the Chinese-owned company is over TikTok Lite. The barebones version of the regular app…This story continues at The Next Web

Yesterday, the EU issued TikTok an ultimatum. The Chinese-owned social media app was given just 24 hours to outline the mental health risks related to its new app TikTok Lite or face huge daily fines. This is the EU’s second probe into TikTok under the Digital Service Act (DSA). The DSA is a new law to protect users from harmful or illegal online content. It requires large platforms like TikTok to submit a risk assessment before launching any major new features. The EU’s latest gripe with the Chinese-owned company is over TikTok Lite. The barebones version of the regular app…

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Grindr is being sued. The  LGBTQ+ dating app is accused of sharing its users’ medical data with advertisers. This data includes their HIV status. UK law firm Austen Hays filed the claim at London’s High Court yesterday. The class action lawsuit represents hundreds of users of the app.   Austen Hays claims that US-based Grindr breached UK data protection law by selling sensitive data to third parties without users’ consent. Aside from medical facts, this includes info about people’s ethnicity, sex life, and sexual orientation.  “Our clients have experienced significant distress over their highly sensitive and private information being shared without…This story continues at The Next Web

Grindr is being sued. The  LGBTQ+ dating app is accused of sharing its users’ medical data with advertisers. This data includes their HIV status. UK law firm Austen Hays filed the claim at London’s High Court yesterday. The class action lawsuit represents hundreds of users of the app.   Austen Hays claims that US-based Grindr breached UK data protection law by selling sensitive data to third parties without users’ consent. Aside from medical facts, this includes info about people’s ethnicity, sex life, and sexual orientation.  “Our clients have experienced significant distress over their highly sensitive and private information being shared without…

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I am really into (my friends might say somewhat obsessed with) coffee. Not just for the hits of caffeine that fuel our productivity-enthralled capitalist society, but also for the taste, as well as different styles of brewing (although my Swedish roots make me partial to a pour-over).  Sadly, I do not often get to write about it, as — even though coffee roasting and brewing rely on technological engineering — tech startups and coffee hardly ever intersect in the news. Enter Helsinki-based Kaffa Roastery, and its new blend of beans called AI-conic.  The blend for the coffee (which costs €12.90…This story continues at The Next Web

I am really into (my friends might say somewhat obsessed with) coffee. Not just for the hits of caffeine that fuel our productivity-enthralled capitalist society, but also for the taste, as well as different styles of brewing (although my Swedish roots make me partial to a pour-over).  Sadly, I do not often get to write about it, as — even though coffee roasting and brewing rely on technological engineering — tech startups and coffee hardly ever intersect in the news. Enter Helsinki-based Kaffa Roastery, and its new blend of beans called AI-conic.  The blend for the coffee (which costs €12.90…

This story continues at The Next Web

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