TikTok returns to US app stores after Trump reprieve TikTok is available again through Apple and Google’s US app stores after President Trump delayed enforcement of a ban on the social media app. TikTok was due to be banned on January 19 under a bipartisan bill, but an executive order delayed enforcement until April […]
TikTok returns to US app stores after Trump reprieve
TikTok is available again through Apple and Google’s US app stores after President Trump delayed enforcement of a ban on the social media app.
TikTok was due to be banned on January 19 under a bipartisan bill, but an executive order delayed enforcement until April 5.
The popular video-sharing service has over 170 million users in the US, who were briefly left without access until Trump intervened on behalf of the firm’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The President then ordered ByteDance to enter negotiations for the sale of TikTok.
Critics claim the app’s Chinese ownership means it is a national security risk, something ByteDance has always denied.
Humanoid unveils new general purpose robot
UK-based AI and robotics startup Humanoid has revealed its new general-purpose humanoid robot, HMND 01.
The company’s new robot features advanced motion control, state-of-the-art AI integration, and a host of other advanced features.
Humanoid was founded just last year by entrepreneur Artem Sokolov.
According to the manufacturer, the company’s HMND 01 robot is a “next-generation labor automation unit”. HMND 01 stands 175 cm (5’9”) tall and weighs 154 lbs (70 kg). It can hit a top walking speed of 1.5 m/s (5.4 km/h) and can carry objects weighing up to 15 kg (33 lbs). The robot’s battery time averages out at 4 hours.
“HMND 01 achieves human-level or higher manipulation speeds for complex tasks and can navigate confined spaces with exceptional accuracy,” the company says in a press statement.
Amazon’s space company cuts 10% of staff
Amazon owner Jeff Bezos has axed more than 10% of the workforce at his space company Blue Origin, just weeks after it began production on a new rocket.
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp delivered the news to employees across the company’s major hubs in Florida, Texas and Washington in a ten-minute meeting on Thursday.
The space firm will cut around 1,400 jobs in the latest round of restructuring after Limp joined from Amazon’s consumer electronics division in late 2023.
Limp said the latest shake-up would help the company scale up New Glenn manufacturing and increase launch frequency.
‘There’s no easy way to communicate this,’ CEO Dave Limp told employees in the meeting, which was scheduled the night prior and lasted about 10 minutes. ‘There’s no question that we’ve had a lot of successes over the last few months.’
‘But that being said, when you look at the foundation of the company and what we need to get to over the next three to five years, we just came to the painful conclusion that we aren’t set up for the kind of success that we really wanted to have,’ Limp said.
Gemini adds conversation recall function
Google’s AI Gemini has added the ability to recall past conversations through its premium subscription service.
Users are no longer limited to conversing with the chatbot in real time. Instead, it can also recall previous questions and answers, meaning no more searching through old threads to pick up content from previous uses.
Gemini can also summarise previous conversations and build upon existing projects. The AI already had the ability to remember user preferences, but the new addition will allow a much wider continuation of usage.
Users will still be able to delete, review and manage their Gemini chat history, however.
