Judi Dench to voice Meta AI chatbot, new battery tech could charge EV in minutes
Instagram owner Meta says Dame Judi Dench and John Cena will be voice options for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Users will also be able to get information from AI versions of Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key or Kristen Bell. Meta will be hoping this use of celebrity chatbots goes better than its last attempt. In September 2023, it debuted what it called AI chatbots with “personality”, based on celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Snoop Dogg, only to pull the plug less than a year later. BBC
Scientists have set a new record for ultra-fast charging of lithium-ion batteries, which are found in everything from electric cars to smartphones. A multinational team from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and the University of California developed a new method that accelerated the recharge time of a battery with a similar energy density to those found in electric vehicles. In just nine minutes, the 302 Wh kg battery was able to recharge 80 per cent of its energy, surpassing previously reported commercial lithium-ion batteries. Independent
Elon Musk has lashed out at the UK after reports he had been snubbed by a government investment summit. The tech billionaire hasn’t been invited to the summit next month after his posts on his X platform regarding the violent riots in the UK last month, according to a BBC report. In response, he made the inaccurate claim that the government was releasing convicted paedophiles to allow for the imprisonment of people over social media posts. “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts,” Mr Musk said on X. Sky News
A ‘Nightsleeper-style’ cyber attack has hit 20 railway stations across the UK with passengers logging onto public wi-fi met with a screen about terror attacks. Network Rail confirmed that the wi-fi systems at stations including London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central were affected. People reported logging on to the wi-fi at the stations on Wednesday and being met with a screen about terror attacks in Europe. Tech Digest
Tesla has taken an unusual approach to deal with a high rate of sick leave at Giga Berlin. The company has been sending managers to make unannounced home visits to check on employees who have frequently called in sick. Over the past few months, sick leave at Giga Berlin has reached unusually high levels. In August 2024, the rate among the 12,000 employees hit 17%. By September that number had dropped to 11%, but not low enough to prevent Tesla taking action. DriveTesla
A new WhatsApp update will soon allow you to send messages on the app to friends who use other messaging apps, such as Messenger, Telegram and Signal. The most popular messaging app on the planet will soon let you send texts to those who don’t even have the app – marking a major change for the platform. The change comes after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which stipulates that tech companies ensure interoperability between their apps and third-party apps. Metro
