Sci-Tech

Scientists: Secret ocean hides under Saturn moon’s ice

By Juliette Collen PARIS, Feb 7, 2024 (AFP) – Saturn’s small moon Mimas seems an unlikely suspect in the hunt for life in Earth’s backyard — it is probably best known for looking like the “Death Star” in the Star Wars films. But scientists said on Wednesday that underneath the unassuming moon’s icy shell is a vast hidden ocean that has many of the ingredients necessary to host primitive alien life. Mimas is the latest […]

US to launch next Moon mission on February 14

US companies are set to launch for the Moon on February 14, less than a month since a similar mission ended in failure with the spaceship burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere, NASA said Wednesday. The upcoming attempt features a lander built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines fixed to the top of a SpaceX rocket, while the last try involved a United Launch Alliance rocket and Astrobotics lander. But the stakes remain just as high: achieving […]

Meta, Amazon beat expectations with stellar results

By Glenn CHAPMAN Meta and Amazon on Thursday blew through expectations in their latest quarterly results as Big Tech continued to impress Wall Street. Meta, the tech titan behind Facebook and Instagram, reported a profit of $14 billion in the final three months of last year, beating analyst forecasts as revenue climbed to $40.1 billion in the quarter. The company said Facebook’s monthly users stood at 3.07 billion people, 20 years after the platform was […]

Facebook, the social network old-timer, turns 20

By Julie JAMMOT Founded 20 years ago as a simple hangout spot for young people, Facebook has since become a battle-hardened behemoth that — despite perceptions of being for boomers and parents — continues growing and growing. “I will never forget the day that I ran up to my high school’s Mac lab and signed up for Facebook,” Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg told AFP. “You simultaneously felt that you were part of this small, […]

Astronomers in Chile to scour universe with car-sized mega camera

By Axl HERNANDEZ Surrounded by the desert mountains and clear blue sky of northern Chile, astronomers from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory hope to revolutionize the study of the universe by affixing the world’s largest-ever digital camera to a telescope. The size of a small car and weighing 2.8 metric tons, the sophisticated piece of equipment will reveal views of the cosmos as never before, officials from the US-funded project told AFP. Beginning in early […]

Microsoft, Google ride AI wave as revenues surge

By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft and Google delivered solid corporate earnings on Tuesday as the tech giants said demand for artificial intelligence services stoked revenue. The tech titans have made big bets on generative AI, with their cloud computing divisions seeing a boost in demand as clients seek the hefty — and more expensive – computing power that drives the technology. Microsoft has moved the fastest and furthest into the AI space, investing in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI […]

Musk says Neuralink installs brain implant in first patient

Elon Musk on Tuesday said his Neuralink startup had installed a brain implant in its first human patient with “promising” initial results. The neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk in 2016 aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers. The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson’s, and maybe one day achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. “The first human received an implant from […]

Japan says Moon lander ‘resumed operations’

Japan’s Moon lander has resumed operations, the space agency said on Monday, indicating that power had been restored. After it landed on January 20, JAXA had said that problems with the craft’s solar batteries meant they were not generating power. “Last evening we succeeded in establishing communication with SLIM, and resumed operations,” JAXA said on X, formerly Twitter. “We immediately started scientific observations with MBC, and have successfully obtained first light for 10-band observation,” it […]

NASA helicopter’s mission ends after three years on Mars

By Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, Jan 26, 2024 (AFP) – NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which made history by achieving the first powered flight on another world, has officially ended its nearly three-year mission after sustaining rotor damage during its last outing, the space agency said Thursday. The tissue-box sized aircraft, which hitched a ride to the Red Planet under the belly of the Perseverance rover, first lifted off the surface on April 19, 2021. Originally intended […]

Japan craft made successful pin-point Moon landing, space agency says

By Kyoko HASEGAWA TOKYO, Jan 25, 2024 (AFP) – Japan’s “Moon Sniper” craft made a pin-point lunar landing despite last-minute engine problems, the space agency said Thursday as it released the first images from the mission. A photo taken by a mini-rover showed the boxy yellow lander sitting intact at a slight angle on the rocky grey surface, lunar slopes rising in the distance. Saturday’s touchdown made Japan only the fifth nation to achieve a […]

Memory chip giant SK Hynix returns to profit on strong AI demand

The world’s second-largest memory chip maker, South Korea’s SK Hynix, said on Thursday it had returned to profit after four consecutive quarters of losses driven by demand for chips used in artificial intelligence. SK Hynix posted an operating profit of 346 billion won ($259.4 million) for the October-December period, compared with a loss of 1.9 trillion won in the same period a year earlier, with strong sales of its flagship products DDR5 and HBM3. Those […]

Tesla sees slower 2024 volume growth as earnings miss estimates

By John BIERS Tesla reported lower fourth-quarter operating profits despite higher revenues Wednesday, following a series of auto price cuts as Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant warned of slower volume growth in 2024. Shares of Tesla fell after the company’s earnings per share and revenues both missed analysts expectations in the fourth quarter, and it offered a sobering outlook for 2024 auto volumes. “Our company is currently between two major growth waves,” said Tesla. It […]