Category: Technology

Meta has rolled out an Urdu version of its artificial intelligence platform, Meta AI, for users in Pakistan, aimed at promoting digital inclusivity. The launch took place during the event “Future in Focus: AI and Innovation,” organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), according to a press release issued by the company. “These initiatives aim to accelerate the process of digital transformation in the country,” read the release, adding: “Pakistani users will now be able to interact with Meta AI not only in English but…

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SAN FRANCISCO: Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic said on Thursday it was expanding its use of Google cloud computing and specialised chips in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars. The arrangement will include Anthropic buying as many as one million Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which are integrated circuits custom-designed by Google, according to the San Francisco-based startup. The expansion promises to let Anthropic bring more than a gigawatt of new computing power online by the end of 2026, enabling it to meet “exponentially growing demand” for its Claude AI…

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Nasa’s top official on Monday said the US space agency was opening up the contract for its Artemis 3 astronaut moon landing to compete against billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the mission’s current contractor, which was running behind schedule. “I’m in the process of opening that contract up. I think we’ll see companies like Blue get involved, and maybe others,” Nasa administrator Sean Duffy, who also serves as US Transportation Secretary, told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” programme. Blue Origin is a SpaceX rival founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, former president…

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Amazon’s AMZN.O cloud services unit AWS was struggling to recover on Monday from a widespread outage that knocked out thousands of websites along with some of the world’s most popular apps – Snapchat and Reddit – and disrupted businesses globally. The turmoil marked the largest internet disruption since last year’s CrowdStrike malfunction hobbled technology systems in hospitals, banks and airports, and highlights the vulnerability of the world’s interconnected technologies. After more than six hours of disruptions, some applications were gradually coming back online as of 10:00 a.m. ET (1400 GMT).…

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KARACHI: Pakistan has launched its first hyperspectral satellite, HS-1, from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC), with live scenes of the mission broadcast from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) complex in Karachi, the agency said. Preparations were completed in the presence of Pakistani scientists and engineers. A Suparco spokesperson said the satellite has successfully entered orbit. In-orbit testing may take up to two months, after which HS-1 will become fully operational, the spokesperson added. According to the spokesperson, HS-1 will conduct detailed analysis of land, vegetation, water…

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A US judge on Friday granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users but slashed a $168 million damages award at trial to just $4 million. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO Group’s behavior fell short of a “particularly egregious” standard needed to support the jury’s calculations on a financial penalty. But in the ruling, seen by AFP, she said the court “concluded that defendants’ conduct causes irreparable harm, and there being no dispute that the conduct is ongoing” the judge granted WhatsApp owner…

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Pakistan is set to launch its first Hyperspectral Satellite (HS-1) on October 19 from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) announced on Wednesday. Marking a major leap in the country’s space journey, the HS-1 mission is set to usher Pakistan into a new era of advanced space-based applications in agriculture, disaster management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. In the agriculture sector, the satellite’s hyperspectral imaging capabilities will enable precision farming through high-resolution data acquisition and calibration. By providing detailed insights into crop health,…

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Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on Wednesday announced the successful completion of repair work on a repeater installed in an undersea cable. The maintenance operation began on the morning of 14 October, led by the International Cable Consortium. Following the repair, internet service speed and connectivity across the country have been fully restored, the telecommunication company said. It also assured users that the network is now functioning optimally, improving overall online access for consumers nationwide. The PTCL had announced possible degradation or partial disruption in internet services due to maintenance…

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Instagram strengthened content filters on Tuesday for teen users to align with the PG-13 standards applied to movies. The move comes as Meta and other social media platforms face pressure to show they aren’t putting profit and engagement over the well-being of users, especially children. Instagram touted the content filtering enhancement as the most significant update to its Teen Accounts since they were launched in September of last year. The result will be that teens at Instagram might see the same level of mature content found in movies with the…

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Google said Tuesday it will invest $15 billion in India over the next five years, as it announced a giant data centre and artificial intelligence base in the country. “It is the largest AI hub that we are investing in anywhere outside of the US,” Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said at a ceremony in New Delhi. Demand for AI tools and solutions is surging among businesses and individuals in India, which is projected to have more than 900 million internet users by year’s end. Kurian announced “capital investment of…

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