Blog

Business

Pre-seed fundraising for Ruhr-based Gemesys, which is creating chips that “mimic the behaviour of the human brain” has totaled €8.6 million. It intends to use the funds for research and development as well as to more than double its workforce.

The round was led by Atlantic Labs and Apex Ventures, with Plug and Play, Sony Innovation Fund, and NRW.Bank joining them. A grant from the German government, which supports research-based businesses through its EXIST “transfer of research” initiative, was also included in the round. Dennis Michaelis, the CEO, refrained from commenting on the allocation of grant and equity financing.

What is the role of Gemesys?

Gemesys is creating chips that enable AI models to be trained and operated directly on gadgets such as hearing implants and smartphones. This lowers the energy consumption related to conventional model training and does away with the requirement to send any raw data to a data center.

Memristors, electrical components that enable artificial neural networks to mimic biological synaptic functions (the way the human brain processes and acts on information), are at the heart of the company’s technology.

According to Michaelis, memristors offer the possibility of creating a “neuro-inspired type of computer.” He goes on to say, “The human brain is the best intelligence processor that we know, a million times more efficient than any AI chip on the market.”

Michaelis tells Sifted that a brain-inspired chip could help overcome a significant obstacle in AI training. He claims that the separation of data processing and storage on the chip limits the capabilities of the current semiconductor architecture. “Whenever you want to do a computation you have to read the data from the memory, load it into the processor, compute and then write the result back. The problem is you have to shift data along at every step,” he argues. This data transfer consumes more energy than is necessary to finish a task and slows down response time.

According to Michaelis, “Such a bottleneck doesn’t exist in the human brain,” “It’s not separated into two units […] it all happens in the same place.”

There may be two primary advantages to Gemesys’ chips. One is that they lessen the role of data centers by lowering the energy consumption linked to AI by handling the majority of the work on the device. According to Goldman Sachs research, the AI boom will lead data centers’ power demand to rise by 160% by 2030, increasing their share of the world’s power demand from 1% to 4% as present.

They also seek to improve data privacy for users, which is an advantage. No raw data has to be sent to the cloud because the model is trained and run locally.

Michaelis states, “You can design models that are a lot smaller and have fewer parameters to do the same task,” “We’re aiming for 10k times less energy use.”

The chip architecture is based on research that Michaelis and Enver Solan, one of the company’s cofounders and chief scientific officer, conducted at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Daniel Krüger, the company’s CTO, and Moritz Schmidt, its CFO, are also cofounders.

Jamie Urquhart, a cofounder and former COO of Arm, and Dr. Christian Wenger, a professor of semiconductor materials at Brandenburg University of Technology, serve as consultants to the company. Ion Hauer from Apex Ventures, Massi Ali Ahmadi from NRW.Bank, and Quentin Calleja from Atlantic Labs comprise its board.

How is it going to generate revenue?

The company intends to launch using a business strategy akin to that of Arm, the massive semiconductor maker. After designing its chips itself, it will contract with semiconductor producers like TSMC to handle manufacturing. Because its chips are used in their goods, it aims to sell to original equipment manufacturers like Siemens, Apple, and Bosch.

At the moment, Gemesys has three pilot clients: one in the energy grid industry, one that develops cochlear implants, which are electronic devices that aid the hearing of the deaf and hard of hearing, and one that handles security. According to Michaelis, use cases are applicable to any business developing IoT devices.

What comes next?

Gemesys intends to increase its workforce from 19 employees by more than double in the coming years. In its research, idea, and hardware development teams, there are seven vacancies. According to Michaelis, hiring will be the business’s “biggest expense” over the coming years.

In Europe, it might be difficult to attract talent, particularly for businesses who want the top employees to work on chip hardware. They are often centered around the largest chip manufacturing facilities, which are presently located in Asia and North America, according to Michaelis.

However, Michaelis says there shouldn’t be any issues with the company’s primary hiring needs, which are in its software team. “We have a lot of great computer scientists in Germany, and in Europe,” he claims. “That’s really good.”

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Science

As the first and only spacecraft to reach Uranus, NASA’s Voyager 2 made history in 1986. Scientists gained a unique glimpse of the planet’s magnetic field from this close encounter, which led to some perplexing discoveries. But according to new research that was just published in Nature Astronomy, we might need to go back and review those conclusions.

According to the latest study, the planet’s magnetosphere may have been significantly distorted by high solar wind concentrations. According to the experts, this might have produced a unique situation during the flyby.As the first and only spacecraft to reach Uranus, NASA’s Voyager 2 made history in 1986. Scientists gained a unique glimpse of the planet’s magnetic field from this close encounter, which led to some perplexing discoveries. But according to new research that was just published in Nature Astronomy, we might need to go back and review those conclusions.

According to the latest study, the planet’s magnetosphere may have been significantly distorted by high solar wind concentrations. According to the experts, this might have produced a unique situation during the flyby.

Based on data from Voyager 2, Uranus appears to have a highly compacted and disordered magnetic field with severe radiation belts and plasma-free regions. But today, scientists think these harsh circumstances might have been an exception. Additionally, as Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, the magnetosphere might have been compressed by that solar wind.

Voyager 2 may have captured Uranus in a unique, heightened state because of the extreme “squeeze” that produced conditions that scientists estimate occur less than 5% of the time. It goes without saying that this solar wind would have changed what Voyager 2 could see.

It might have even distorted our perception of Uranus’s typical magnetosphere in certain respects. The magnetosphere of Uranus may not be as severe or erratic in a more normal state as the data from Voyager 2 suggested.

Scientists think that Voyager 2 would have found a calmer magnetic field and seen the planet substantially differently if it had arrived even a few days earlier or later. This discovery serves as a clear reminder of how dynamic the planets around us are, particularly when the solar wind is at work.

The magnetic fields of far-off planets like Uranus react to variations in solar wind pressure and solar storms in the same way that Earth’s does. However, our one flyby of Uranus only offered a fleeting glimpse under special circumstances that significantly distorted our conclusions about the magnetosphere, in contrast to Earth, where researchers may routinely detect these effects.

Future expeditions to Uranus are crucial in order to investigate the planet under various solar wind conditions, as the latest study further highlights. Scientists want to provide a more realistic picture of Uranus, including its odor, with a larger dataset.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Business

As part of a $102 million late-stage fundraising round, Juniper Networks, which Hewlett Packard Enterprise plans to acquire by early 2025, announced this week that it had invested in artificial intelligence firm Recogni.

Based in San Jose, California According to Recogni, it will work with Juniper Networks, a networking expert, to develop an AI inference system that can be mounted in server racks. The two businesses will specifically use Recogni’s unique AI inference accelerator technology to provide low-cost, scalable, and energy-efficient solutions for executing complicated AI models in cloud environments and data centers.

Celesta Capital and GreatPoint Ventures co-led Recogni’s $102 million Series C fundraising in February. This week, Juniper Networks said that had participated in the late-stage investment round.

The two businesses’ partnership is centered on creating AI inference compute solutions for organizations, service providers, and hyperscalers.

In 2026, the business plans to put its AI inference accelerator technology into production.

Juniper Networks, a company based in Sunnyvale, California, has long prioritized AI-powered networking as a means of differentiating itself in the marketplace. Thanks to its industry-leading Juniper Mist AI platform, the company has been introducing artificial intelligence into more areas of the network in recent years.

First revealed in February, the $14 billion blockbuster HPE-Juniper transaction sets up a competition between market leader Cisco Systems, the biggest player in the networking industry, and HPE Juniper for networking supremacy in the AI era.

The boards of directors of Juniper and HPE, as well as the shareholders, have authorized the combination. The purchase is expected to finalize at the end of 2024 or the start of 2025, HPE CEO Antonio Neri told CRN.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Healthcare

Experts praise the environmental and health advantages of avoiding animal products, but recent research indicates that eating highly processed vegan cuisine may raise your risk of heart mortality.

Packaged goods, beverages, cereals, and ready-to-eat items that contain flavors, emulsifiers, colors, and other additives are examples of ultra-processed foods. UPFs usually lack vitamins and fiber and are heavy in sugar, saturated fat, and salt.

More than 118,000 British citizens between the ages of 40 and 69 had their diets evaluated by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of São Paulo.

They discovered that a plant-based diet improves heart health in general, but only if it includes fresh plant-based foods like whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables.

Researchers discovered that the chance of dying from heart disease decreased by 20% for every 10% increase in plant-based diet.

However, a 12% increase in heart disease-related fatalities was associated with the surge in plant-based diets brought on by UPFs.

According to lead study author Fernanda Rauber, the ingredients and manufacturing processes of UPFs can raise cholesterol and blood pressure.

“Food additives and industrial contaminants present in these foods might cause oxidative stress and inflammation, further aggravating the risks,” she said.

“Those shifting towards plant-based foods should also think about the degree of processing involved before making their choices.”

The study’s co-author, Dr. Eszter Vamos, pointed out that the public views plant-based goods as healthful and that their marketing is misleading.

“While ultra-processed foods are often marketed as healthy foods, this large study suggests that plant-based ultra-processed foods do not seem to have protective health effects and are linked to poor health outcomes,” she added.

According to the study, substituting whole foods, which are known to have significant health and environmental advantages, for plant-based UPFs lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 7% and heart disease fatalities by 15%.

This study, which was released Monday in the Lancet Regional Health, is the first to demonstrate that plant-based UPFs raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers.

The authors are calling for a warning to avoid UPFs to be included in nutritional guidelines that support plant-based diets in light of their findings.

Independent experts note that half of the UPFs used in the study were from plant-based breads and pastries, despite the report’s emphasis on the cardiovascular risk of consuming popular meat substitutes.

According to a statement from dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson Duane Mellor, “Many foods that do not contain animal products, which includes biscuits, crisps, confectionery and soft drinks, are technically plant-based but would not be considered essential as part of a healthy diet by the majority of people,”

Mellor emphasized the value of eating a well-balanced diet full of entire foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.

“It is important to emphasize that just because a food or drink is technically plant-based, it does not mean it is healthy,” he said.A study found that vegan imitation meats are associated with heart disease and early death.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Science

The reason and extent of an air leak in the Russian section of the ISS, which NASA fears could result in a “catastrophic failure” of a portion of a Russian module, are still up for debate between Roscosmos and NASA.

In a brief meeting on November 13, NASA’s ISS Advisory Committee brought up the disagreement, recalling a September meeting with its Roscosmos counterpart in Moscow to discuss station-related issues.

A minor but continuous leak in the Zvezda service module’s PrK vestibule, which divides a docking port from the remainder of the module, has been the main cause for concern. Station crews have been addressing the leak for a number of years by cutting off PrK from the rest of the station when they are not required to access Progress cargo spacecraft that are moored at the port.

“Although the teams continue to investigate the causal factors for the crack initiation and growth, the U.S. and Russian technical teams don’t have a common understanding of what the likely root cause is or the severity of the consequences of these leaks,” Said Bob Cabana, an associate administrator and former NASA astronaut who currently chairs the committee.

According to him, Russian engineers think that “high cyclic fatigue” from micro-vibrations is probably what caused the fissures. NASA, on the other hand, thinks a number of elements are involved, such as residual stress, pressure and mechanical stress, the module’s material qualities, and exposure to the environment.

The leaks, which have not been observed anywhere in the station, were caused by “internal and external welds,” according to a September study from NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

NASA officials downplayed the concerns during a briefing on September 27. According to the OIG report, the leaks were originally discovered in 2019 but had increased to their highest rates to date early this year, resulting in a daily loss of 1.7 kg of air. Agency representatives stated during that briefing that the leak rate was lowered by a third as a result of recent repairs.

However, the agencies and space station staff continue to be concerned about the leakage. The Russian counterparts have been “very open” about the problem, but NASA takes safeguards while the hatch to PrK is open, according to Michael Barratt, a NASA astronaut who returned to Earth in October on the Crew-8 mission after almost eight months on the station, during a briefing on Nov. 8.

In order to mend the rift between the Russian and American sides during those times, he stated, “We’ve taken a very conservative approach.” “It’s not a comfortable thing but it is the best agreement between all the smart people on both sides, and it’s something that we as a crew live with.”

During the committee discussion, Cabana stated that Roscosmos and NASA cannot agree on how serious the problem is. “While the Russian team continues to search for and seal the leaks, it does not believe catastrophic disintegration of the PrK is realistic,” he stated, adding that it is still looking for and sealing the leaks. “NASA has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the PrK and the possibility of a catastrophic failure.”

He concluded by saying, “The Russians believe that continued operations are safe but they can’t prove to our satisfaction that they are, and the U.S. believes that it’s not safe but we can’t prove to the Russians’ satisfaction that that’s the case,”

According to Cabana, the NASA and Roscosmos committees jointly recommended to the presidents of their respective agencies that they should keep looking for a “common understanding of the structural integrity” of PrK and enlist the help of outside academic and industrial specialists.

He stated that NASA has enlisted an outside team to evaluate the leaks, but he did not provide a timeline for those operations. “This is an engineering problem, and good engineers should be able to reach a solution and agree on it.”

At the Crew-8 briefing, Barratt stated, “The station is not young. It’s been up there for quite a while. You expect some wear and tear, and we’re seeing that,”

The conference, which was supposed to last an hour according to the Federal Register notice, barely lasted roughly ten minutes, with the main focus being the PrK leak. The group held its first public meeting since March 2020, when it was chaired by the late astronaut Tom Stafford, who died in March of this year.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Technology

Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, has affirmed the company’s intention to create an Xbox portable, although he has emphasized that it will be years before it happens.

According to Spencer, Microsoft is now producing prototypes and thinking about its options. The company’s team is creating its portable vision based on market research.

According to Spencer, Microsoft will concentrate on enhancing the Xbox app in the near future to make it more compatible with current portable gaming devices. In the long run, Spencer stated, “I love us building devices.” “And I think our team could do some real innovative work, but we want to be informed by learning and what’s happening now.”

Spencer has never concealed his intention to use Xbox technology to go into the handheld console market. In June, after the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, he essentially confirmed the plan to IGN.

At the time, Spencer declared, “The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome,” “The work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I’m incredibly excited about.

“Today was about the games… but we will have a time to come out and talk more about platform, and we can’t wait to bring it to you.”

When asked if a hypothetical Xbox handheld would be a cloud-based handheld or a dedicated gaming platform with local game play capabilities, Spencer said, “I think being able to play games locally is really important.”

In March, Spencer gave a list of characteristics that would make a portable console “feel like an Xbox,” such as having access to all of your games and the save data that go with them, in an interview with Polygon. At that time, he asked, “What should we build that will find new players?” “That will allow people to play at times when they couldn’t go play [in the past]?”

Last October, a series of leaked Microsoft documents that showed plans for an Xbox portable stoked rumors. Later on, though, Spencer would publicly declare that the plans were out of date.

With Microsoft revealing a multi-year vision in February that includes a next-generation Xbox system, Xbox had alluded to new hardware in the near future.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Business

A firm claims to be training an AI system that will allow designers to create cinematic environments with total control over the lighting, motion, characters, and scenery. How? by having people hike all over the world while strapping cameras to their backs.

Self-driving pioneers Jeff Hawke and Oliver Cameron founded Odyssey, which claims to have developed a “advanced camera capture system” that can gather data almost anywhere a person can reach. The system, which weighs roughly 25 pounds, has two lidar sensors, six cameras, and an inertial measurement unit.

Similar to Google’s Street View Trekker, the system can record its environment in 360 degrees and at “3.5K resolution,” with metadata containing “physics-accurate” depth information.

What’s the point, then? According to Odyssey, the system’s data is being fed into algorithms in order to “capture the fine details that make up our world.” In essence, the organization is creating digital recreations of real-world landscapes, such as those with parks, buildings, woods, caves, trails, beaches, glaciers, and so forth, a la Meta’s Hyperscape project.

How these reconstructions will result in improved generative tools for creatives is yet unclear. According to earlier statements by Cameron and Hawke, Odyssey has produced a number of generative AI models that build layers of visual information, such as item shape, lighting, and motion, and then merge them into a single virtual “world” to produce the visuals that are required.

However, even the greatest “world models” available today have drawbacks, and Odyssey makes no claims to have resolved them entirely. However, obtaining funds is necessary to move on.

Odyssey said today that EQT Ventures led a $18 million Series A investment round in which GV and Air Street Capital also participated. The additional funding will be used to expand Odyssey’s data collection activities in California, bringing the company’s total fundraising to $27 million.

In the future, Odyssey intends to extend its data collecting to additional states and nations, hopefully with privacy safeguards in place.

“We think it will be impossible for generative models to generate Hollywood-grade worlds that feel alive without training on a vast volume of rich, multimodal real-world 3D data,” the business stated in a blog post.“We believe an advanced generative world-building model will unlock a better way to create film, games, and more.”

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Science

A brand-new space telescope that can see 100 times as well as the Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled to be launched by NASA. This telescope could aid scientists in creating the technology necessary to detect extraterrestrial worlds.

According to the organization, the next-generation space observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is scheduled to launch in May 2027 and will enable astronomers to solve scientific puzzles related to infrared astrophysics, exoplanets, and dark energy.

According to NASA, the new space telescope is also viewed as a significant advancement in technology that will enable scientists to look for habitable planets in the future. The Roman Coronagraph Instrument, which could be essential in assisting future telescopes in identifying planets similar to Earth, is being tested as part of the mission.

“In order to get from where we are to where we want to be, we need the Roman Coronagraph to demonstrate this technology.” stated Rob Zellem, the deputy project scientist for communications for the Roman Space Telescope at NASA Goddard. He continued, “We’ll be applying those lessons learned to the next generation of NASA flagship missions that will be explicitly designed to look for Earth-like planets.”

About the size of a baby grand piano, the coronagraph is a sophisticated system of detectors, prisms, self-flexing mirrors, and masks. In order for astronomers to discern the weak evidence of planets orbiting stars, it is made to block their light.

Scientists currently use telltale dips in brightness when the planet moves between the star and the observer to identify planets orbiting far-off suns. The method has limitations, even though we have been able to detect thousands of planets like this one. First, the planet must move between the star and the observer, and because of the angle at which we view many stars, we may never know if they contain planets.

Second, a planet moving in front of a star dims very quickly, making it easy to overlook. Large worlds that have just formed and are still blazing from the flames that created them are known as other planets because they also radiate light.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Technology

Notepad, a simple text editor first released in 1983, will now have AI-powered text editing capabilities according to Microsoft. According to the Windows Insider Blog, the Rewrite function, which is being made available to Windows Insiders in preview, will let you to “rephrase sentences, adjust tone, and modify the length of your content” using artificial intelligence.

To test the feature if you have early access as a Windows Insider, highlight the text you wish to change in Notepad, then right-click and select Rewrite. After that, Notepad will provide a dialogue window where you may choose how to alter their text, such as whether it should be longer or shorter. After that, Rewrite will present you with three revised versions to choose from.

Note that Rewrite is “powered by a cloud-based service that requires authentication and authorization,” thus in order to use it, you will need to log into your Microsoft account. This feature is being pre-released by Microsoft for Windows 11 in the US, France, UK, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Microsoft eventually added autocorrect and spell check to Notepad in July.

In addition to integrating Rewrite into Notepad, Microsoft will let Insiders to begin testing the new AI image editing features in Paint that were teased last month. Generative Erase may delete portions of an image and fill in the blank space, while Generative Fill lets you add to an image in response to a suggestion.

While Generative Erase will be accessible to all Insiders on Windows 11, Generative Fill will “initially” be made available to testers with Copilot Plus PCs.

Read Full Article
0 Comment
Business

In the realm of finance, the potential for losses due to fraudulent activities or mismanaged investments remains a perennial concern for individuals and corporations alike. Navigating the complex web of fund recovery can be daunting, especially for those unfamiliar with the legal and financial intricacies involved. However, Pernix Reim Ltd, a prominent name in financial recovery services, has recently unveiled crucial insights into successfully managing fund recovery cases. This article distills their expertise, offering essential guidelines for individuals and organizations facing the daunting task of recovering lost capital.

Understanding Fund Recovery

Fund recovery is the process through which individuals or institutions attempt to reclaim lost assets, often through financial fraud or misappropriation. The landscape of fund recovery is ever-evolving and highly complex, particularly as technology advances and new forms of financial misconduct emerge. Pernix Reim Ltd, with years of experience in this field, has developed a multi-faceted approach to tackling these challenges.

1. Early Intervention is Key

One of the first pieces of advice from Pernix Reim Ltd’s specialists is the importance of early intervention. Time is often of the essence in recovery cases, especially when it comes to tracing and retrieving assets. Quick action can help prevent funds from being moved further from the point of origin, making recovery more feasible.

“The sooner you act, the better your chances of successfully recovering lost funds,” states John D’Costa, a senior consultant at Pernix Reim Ltd. He emphasizes that potential victims should document every transaction meticulously and seek professional help immediately upon noticing discrepancies.

2. Conducting Thorough Investigations

Pernix Reim advocates for rigorous investigation methods as a cornerstone of successful fund recovery. This often involves forensic accounting, legal analysis, and asset tracing—all aimed at identifying the whereabouts of the lost funds.

“Knowledge is power,” explains Sarah Liu, lead investigator at Pernix Reim. She notes that understanding the flow of funds provides critical insights and can uncover hidden assets that may not be immediately apparent.

3. Engaging Legal Expertise

Navigating the labyrinth of laws and regulations surrounding fund recovery necessitates a proficient legal team. Pernix Reim emphasizes the importance of procuring legal assistance that specializes in financial recovery cases. They can help clients understand their rights, the legal avenues available for recovery, and potential obstacles.

Having experienced attorneys on the team allows for more strategic planning, especially regarding the potential need for litigation. Pernix Reim frequently collaborates with legal partners to ensure a holistic approach to fund recovery, matching financial strategy with legal expertise.

4. Leveraging Technology

In addressing modern financial crimes, technology plays a pivotal role. Pernix Reim Ltd makes extensive use of advanced software tools to track and analyze transactions. These technologies aid in identifying irregular patterns, which are often indicative of fraudulent activities.

“With the rise of cryptocurrency and online transactions, technological tools have become indispensable in tracing digital assets,” points out James Bennett, tech analyst at Pernix Reim. As digital landscapes expand, the combination of financial acumen and technological prowess remains crucial for successful recovery.

5. Maintaining Clear Communication

A core component of successful fund recovery, as outlined by Pernix Reim, is clear and consistent communication. Clients should be kept informed throughout the process, ensuring they understand each step taken and the reasoning behind strategic decisions.

Regular updates reduce client anxiety and build trust. Moreover, engaging clients in the recovery proceedings can result in more accurate information and enhance cooperation as the case progresses.

6. Stressing the Importance of Preventive Measures

While fund recovery is essential for those who have lost money, Pernix Reim stresses the importance of prevention. Educating individuals and businesses about potential risks, investing in robust internal controls, and conducting regular audits can help mitigate future recovery cases.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” advises D’Costa. Knowledge about common scams and financial red flags can empower clients to protect their investments proactively.

Conclusion

As financial crimes become more sophisticated and widespread, the need for effective fund recovery strategies continues to grow. Pernix Reim Ltd stands at the forefront of this arena, guiding clients through the arduous process of reclaiming lost assets. Their insights highlight a systematic approach involving swift action, thorough investigation, legal expertise, technological prowess, clear communication, and preventive education. For both individuals and corporations, understanding these principles is crucial to navigating the complex waters of fund recovery. By following Pernix Reim Ltd’s guidance, victims of financial misconduct can better navigate the challenges they face, potentially reclaiming their peace of mind and hard-earned funds. Recover your funds today, visit their website www.pernixreimltd.com.

Read Full Article
0 Comment