TNW Podcast: The tech, market, and culture of videogames with Ilkka Paananen, Supercell

Ukraine’s new F-16 simulator spotlights a ‘paradigm shift’ led from Europe

To the average eye, extended reality is starting to look bleak. The metaverse has bombed, the Apple Vision Pro has flopped, and Sony has all but abandoned the PSVR. Sadly for Mark Zuckerberg, consumers rarely want to strap computers to their faces. But there is one place where business is booming: the military. XR has diffused across the armed forces since 2021, when Microsoft signed a contract with the US Army worth up to $21.9bn (€19.6bn). Under the deal, the tech giant would develop training programmes for HoloLens-based headsets. Despite a shaky start — literally, for the nauseated soldiers —…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-04 17:22:38

ESA’s ‘planetary defence mission’ has startups dreaming of asteroid mining

Europe’s spacetech elite are making their final preparations for a groundbreaking meeting with an asteroid. A spacecraft called Hera — named after the Greek goddess of marriage — will make the rendezvous. The probe is slated for launch on October 7. If all goes well, Hera will then complete a detailed inspection of Dimorphos — a binary asteroid that’s also caught the eye of NASA. Back in 2022, the agency’s DART spacecraft deliberately smashed into Dimorphos. The collision contributed to a test of humanity’s planetary defences. NASA wants to prove that we could divert a giant space rock hurtling towards…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-04 13:01:12

AI startup Poolside raises $500M as AI coding market booms

AI startup Poolside has raised a whopping $500mn — and it still hasn’t even launched a product. Despite the barren release schedule, the company has become an investors’ darling. The new Series B round brings Poolside’s total funding to $626mn. Its valuation now stands at a cool $3bn. The cash magnet is a AI-powered coding. Poolside has developed its own language model, which promises to accelerate software development. The company also boasts two eye-catching co-founders. CEO Jason Warner helped create GitHub Copilot, while CTO Eiso Kant is a serial founder of AI startups. At Poolside, the pair are building three things:…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-03 09:50:50

A microbial extract from Finnish forests can heal eczema, a biotech startup says

Finland’s vast green forests are famously restorative. So restorative that they can even treat diseases. That’s according to Uute Scientific, a biotech firm based in Helsinki. The company has created a unique remedy: a microbial extract that replicates Finnish nature. Today, the startup revealed new evidence of the organism’s powers. The extract targets a growing health problem. Immune systems, Uute says, are being weakened by urbanisation and oversanitation. As a result, city dwellers have higher rates of many allergic, inflammatory, and auto-immune diseases. Biodiversity could give their bodies a boost. Unfortunately, the benefits aren’t always readily available on tap. But you…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-03 07:15:16

Dutch startup targets remote patient monitoring with its smart stethoscope

Amsterdam-based Lapsi Health is looking to firmly position itself in the rapidly-evolving market of smart medical devices. The startup announced yesterday the US launch of its first clinical support tool, a digital stethoscope, after receiving clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — the US regulator for medical devices. Dubbed Keikku, the digital stethoscope is a portable wireless device that uses sensing technology and AI to listen to body sounds, such as breathing, and turn them into data-based insights. Keikku also comes with features such as the option to share and stream sound clips or to crop and annotate…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-02 16:00:50

‘Algorithms are key to quantum utility’: IBM opens first European quantum data centre

IBM’s first quantum data centre in Europe may have been planned during his predecessor’s tenure, but it was Olaf Scholz with entourage who descended on the small German town of Ehningen on Tuesday. The reason was to welcome the first IBM Heron processor to be installed outside of the US. When the Chancellor of Germany shows up to spend nearly half a day at an event, you know it is a pretty big deal. Indeed, attracting projects like IBM’s new quantum data centre might be what makes or breaks German — and European — aspirations on “technological sovereignty” in the…This story continues at The Next WebOr just read more coverage about: IBM

Published: 2024-10-02 15:49:21

Huma acquires eConsult to advance digital healthcare in the UK

London-based scaleup Huma announced today the expansion of its digital healthcare solutions with the acquisition of eConsult. This is one of the UK’s largest digital triage and consultation platforms across primary and emergency care. Founded in 2011, Huma works with healthcare providers and big pharma to improve clinical outcomes with digital solutions. Since its founding, the company has been strategically expanding its portfolio of services, aiming to accelerate the digitalisation of healthcare. “The acquisition [of eConsult] brings us one step closer to becoming the end-to-end technology platform for the industry to deliver digital-first care at scale seamlessly,” said Dan Vahdat,…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-02 14:28:19

TNW Conference is coming back with a bang — and 6 thrilling new themes

2025 marks Amsterdam’s 750th birthday. It also marks the 19th TNW Conference, which will take place on June 19 and 20 at — and you’re all invited. The show returns to NDSM next year, right at the heart of the city. As usual, we’re bringing together the entire ecosystem, from startups and investors to C-level executives, industry leaders, and policy makers. With a mission of building links between Dutch tech and the world, we’re crafting two days full of inspirational talks, networking opportunities, and our famous festival vibes. Who says you can’t do business while enjoying every minute of it?…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-02 13:10:11

6-fingered gloves sent to Sam Altman and EU leaders in chilling AI warning

Six-fingered gloves have been sent to global leaders as a chilling reminder of AI dangers. The gloves symbolise a disturbing digital problem: image generators giving people extra fingers. The petrifying pictures have now been brought to life by Finnish startup Saidot. “AI is developing so fast that nobody can fully anticipate its impacts and the emerging risks,” warned Veera Siivonen, the company’s CCO and co-founder. “That’s why we want to highlight both the steps that have been taken forward for safer AI, as well as some of the steps that should be taken.” After stitching the gruesome garments, Saidot posted…This story continues at The Next Web

Published: 2024-10-02 11:29:34