All posts tagged: action

European tech industry coalition calls for ‘radical action’ on digital sovereignty — starting with buying local

European tech industry coalition calls for ‘radical action’ on digital sovereignty — starting with buying local

Published by skeptic

A broad coalition drawn from across the ranks of Europe’s tech industry is calling for “radical action” from European Union lawmakers to shrink reliance on foreign-owned digital infrastructure and services to bolster the bloc’s economic prospects, resilience, and security in increasingly fraught geopolitical times. In an open letter to European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU’s digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, which TechCrunch reviewed ahead of publication, more than 80 signatories (representing around 100 organizations) said they want regional lawmakers to rethink current support efforts so that they are centered on fostering uptake of homegrown alternatives with the strongest commercial potential — from apps, platforms, and AI models to chips, computing, storage, and connectivity. Companies spanning areas including cloud, telecoms, defence, along with several regional business and startup associations, have put their names to the letter — which was sent to the Commission on Sunday — urging the bloc to switch its tech strategy onto a quasi-war footing by committing to support “sovereign digital infrastructure.” The plan pushes for reducing reliance on foreign-owned …

iPhone SE 4 Dummies Feature iPhone 14-Style Design With No Action Button or Camera Control

iPhone SE 4 Dummies Feature iPhone 14-Style Design With No Action Button or Camera Control

Published by skeptic

Apple is planning to introduce a new version of the iPhone SE this year, and alleged dummy models are starting to leak out. Sonny Dickson today shared some images of an ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 dummy model, giving us insight into what it could look like. For those unfamiliar with dummy models, they are non-functional mockups of new devices that case makers create based on information that leaks out of Apple’s partner factories. There is big money in being the first to have a case for a new device, and over the years, leaked dummy models have turned out to be accurate in most cases. Rumors have suggested the next ‌iPhone SE‌ will look like the iPhone 14, and that seems to be accurate based on the images. There’s an iPhone-14 style chassis with an aluminum band, a glass back, and a single-lens rear camera. There have been suggestions that the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 could get an Action Button or the Camera Control button that’s available on iPhone 16 models, but neither of those features is …

AI Opportunities Action Plan set to deliver national renewal

AI Opportunities Action Plan set to deliver national renewal

Published by skeptic

Artificial intelligence will be unleashed across the UK to deliver a decade of national renewal under the new AI Opportunities Action Plan. In a marked move from the previous government’s approach, the Prime Minister is throwing the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry by agreeing to take forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford in his game-changing AI Opportunities Action Plan. AI is already being used in hospitals up and down the country to deliver better, faster, and smarter care: spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker. This is already helping to fulfil the government’s mission of building an NHS that is fit for the future. Speeding up the lives of working people Unveiling details of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Prime Minister said AI can transform the lives of working people – it has the potential to speed up planning consultations to get Britain building, help drive down admin for teachers so they can get on with teaching our …

Largest Teachers Union To Launch Ballot Over Strike Action

Largest Teachers Union To Launch Ballot Over Strike Action

Published by Sam

The National Education Union (NEU) marches to Trafalgar Square as teachers strike 2 min read09 January The government faces the prospect of a teacher walkout later this year over an “inadequate” pay offer.  The country’s largest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), is set to announce an indicative ballot over possible strike action on pay and school funding, PoliticsHome understands. The union’s executive met on Wednesday night and agreed to move to an indicative ballot, which will begin in March. The move comes after the Department for Education (DfE) recommended a 2.8 per cent teacher pay rise in 2025-26, which sector leaders described as “extremely disappointing”.  The ballot will ask members if they accept or reject a 2.8 per cent pay rise for next year.  On Thursday Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the NEU, is expected to tell members: “It is our view that 2.8 per cent is not adequate. It does not recognise the hard work that you do. But crucially, it will not keep our teachers in our schools or recruit new ones into the profession. “An unfunded pay …

US accelerates climate action with .8bn direct air capture funding

US accelerates climate action with $1.8bn direct air capture funding

Published by skeptic

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a major initiative to combat climate change, offering up to $1.8bn in funding to support the development and commercialisation of direct air capture (DAC) technologies. This move marks a significant step toward achieving large-scale carbon removal from the atmosphere, reinforcing America’s global competitiveness in clean energy and creating economic opportunities for communities nationwide. What is direct air capture? Direct air capture is an advanced climate technology designed to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere. Unlike traditional carbon capture methods that focus on emissions from industrial sources, DAC targets CO2 that has already been released, referred to as ‘legacy emissions.’ This makes DAC a critical tool for addressing historical contributions to climate change. Direct air capture systems use chemical processes to capture CO2, which can then be stored underground in geological formations or utilised in products like concrete or synthetic fuels. By providing a scalable solution to remove atmospheric carbon, DAC holds immense potential for mitigating the impacts of climate change and achieving net-zero emissions …

Allu Arjun and Sukumar’s Action Sequel

Allu Arjun and Sukumar’s Action Sequel

Published by skeptic

In the pantheon of contemporary Indian film protagonists, Pushpa stands tall. He starts out as a man on the margins — a daily wage laborer with a feminine name that means “flower” and a mountain-sized chip on his tilted shoulder. But Pushpa is so smart and so fearless that he soon ascends the ranks of a sandalwood smuggling operation to become head of the syndicate and godfather of the city of Chittoor. Pushpa 2: The Rule The Bottom Line Dazzling, thrilling and ultimately overwhelming. Release date: Thursday, Dec. 5Cast: Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna, Dhanunjay, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Ajay GhoshDirector-screenwriter: Bandreddi Sukumar 3 hours 20 minutes However, power and money don’t fuel Pushpa. More than anything, he wants respect and legitimacy, which have been denied to him since childhood because his father never legally married his mother. Pushpa might seem as invincible as a Marvel superhero. But like Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar, who has “mera baap chor hai” (“my father is a thief”) tattooed on his arm, Pushpa is also permanently scarred. It’s a potent …

Peers from all parties call for action on humanist marriages

Peers from all parties call for action on humanist marriages

Published by skeptic

During oral questions in the House of Lords today, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and crossbench peers called for the Government to act on legal recognition of humanist marriages. This is the second oral question on the subject asked in the Lords in the last two months. Humanists UK leads the campaign for the legal recognition of humanist marriages and welcomes the support expressed by peers. It expressed its disappointment that the Government has not yet committed to immediate reform, despite supporting this measure for over ten years while in opposition. Labour peer Lord Watson summarised the frustration felt by humanist couples across England and Wales when he said ‘Can I put it to [the Minister] that this is an equalities issue, and it offers the Government the chance to extend laws that exist for some UK citizens to all of us?’ Baroness Thornton, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), tabled the question. Labour peer Lord Dubs, also an APPHG member, spoke on her behalf. He asked whether the Government conducted an equality …

Lords call for action to close illegal schools

Lords call for action to close illegal schools

Published by skeptic

Members of the House of Lords have called again for new laws to close illegal faith schools. Peers spoke about the need to close legal loopholes used by proprietors of illegal faith schools. They did so during the second reading of Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Lord Storey’s Home Education Registration and Support Bill on Friday. Humanists UK has led the campaign against illegal religious schools for over a decade. It briefed members of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanists Group (APPHG) ahead of the debate and welcomed Lord Storey’s Bill which seeks to require parents who choose to home-educate their children to register with the local authority, and for local authorities to maintain a register. This is important because there is no compulsory register of home-educated children, leaving the state unsure which children are open to abuse. It is also important because of its interplay with illegal faith schools.  During the debate, APPHG member Lord Watson said: ‘The Bill does not refer to unregistered schools, but it is impossible to separate them from the issue of home …

How Car Chase Scenes Have Evolved Over 100 Years: The Technology Behind Bullitt, The French Connection, Driver, and Other Action Movies

How Car Chase Scenes Have Evolved Over 100 Years: The Technology Behind Bullitt, The French Connection, Driver, and Other Action Movies

Published by José

For many a clas­sic action-movie enthu­si­ast, no car chase will ever top the one in Bul­litt. The nar­ra­tor of the Insid­er video above describes it as “the scene that set the stan­dard for all mod­ern car chas­es,” one made “icon­ic part­ly because of the char­ac­ters, but also because of their cars.” The pur­suer dri­ves a Dodge Charg­er, a mus­cle car that “explod­ed in pop­u­lar­i­ty dur­ing the late six­ties in the U.S.,” with a V‑8 engine and rear-wheel dri­ve that made it “basi­cal­ly built for infor­mal drag rac­ing.” The pur­sued, Steve McQueen’s detec­tive pro­tag­o­nist Frank Bul­litt, dri­ves an instant­ly rec­og­niz­able High­land Green Ford Mus­tang, “the first major pony car, a more com­pact, sporty take on the mus­cle car.” Bul­litt could change the game, as they say, thanks not just to the cars but also the cam­eras avail­able at the time, not least the Arri­flex 35 II. “Small­er and more rugged” than the bulky rigs of ear­li­er gen­er­a­tions, it made it pos­si­ble to shoot on actu­al city streets rather than just stu­dio sets and rear-pro­jec­tion setups. (To get a …