Author: bibhuti

If you have ever turned a video up to 200% volume, opened a file that refused to work anywhere else or rescued an old DVD from your collection, chances are you have used VLC Media Player. The orange traffic cone has been on our devices for decades. It costs nothing, asks for no subscription, shows no adverts and, according to VideoLAN, does not track users. VideoLAN says VLC has recorded more than 286 million downloads of its current version alone. The project announced in January last year that it had passed 6 billion downloads in total. Modern software often comes…

Kitchen sponges are a staple in most homes, but they may also be an overlooked source of microplastic pollution. A new study led by researchers at the University of Bonn examined how many tiny plastic particles are released from sponges during everyday dishwashing and what impact those particles have on the environment. The results show that kitchen sponges do shed measurable amounts of microplastics over time. However, the researchers found that the biggest environmental burden associated with hand washing dishes is not the plastic particles themselves. Instead, water use accounts for the vast majority of the overall impact. Kitchen Sponges…

Gigascale, the venture firm led by former Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer, announced on Monday that it had raised a $250 million fund to back founders who are “rebuilding the physical economy.” The new fund will focus on energy, grid infrastructure, and critical minerals all through the lens of climate tech. By continuing with the overt climate focus, Gigascale is bucking conventional wisdom which has soured on the “climate tech” thesis. Gigascale’s second fund is shaping up to be a continuation of the sort of bets that Schrep, as he’s known, has made in the three years since he started Gigascale. The…

An early Ether (ETH) investor sold their ETH holdings over the past week as the price headed toward $2,000, sparking fears of further losses. However, onchain data tells a different story as traders speculate where ETH/USD might bottom.Key takeaways:An early Ethereum whale sold $136 million in ETH, adding pressure as Ether trades below the $2,000 level.Onchain data shows no evidence that older ETH investors are selling en masse.Analysts warn the ETH price could fall further toward the $1,500 support.Ethereum OG whale sells $136 million ETHAn old Ethereum whale, an early investor holding tokens since the network’s first years, sold 55,000…

A new AI weather forecasting tool released today by the startup Windborne Systems offers more frequent and accurate predictions on key variables than the world-leading system developed by European governments, thanks to advancements in how sensor readings are fed into deep learning models. Founded by a group of Stanford students in 2019, Windborne began by building a better weather balloon, with the idea of selling weather data. But the arrival of the weather-forecasting deep learning models in 2022, the team realized they could capture more value by building their own model as well. Today marks the release of the sixth…

The first thing that disappears in Yasuní is the noise. Not the obvious culprits — street traffic, cellphones, car alarms, or loud talking — but the persistent drone of first-world life implanted somewhere deep in you. In just a couple hours after leaving the Ecuadorian capital city behind, find yourself gliding by canoe through a blackwater tributary in Ecuador’s Amazon. The silence begins to feel pure, almost unnervingly so. Then the rainforest, seeming to respond to your questioning, answers back. Overhead, Macaws screech. Cicadas rattle like static noise. And something large, somewhere beyond the trees, moves unseen, eerily, through the…

As its traffic continues to climb, alternative search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning into anti-AI sentiment with the launch of new browser extensions that allow users to set its no-AI search experience, noai.duckduckgo.com, as their default search engine. Once enabled, users will be directed to the company’DuckDuckGo’s AI-free search page, where there are no AI-assisted answers, no chat prompts, and fewer AI images in the search results, the company claims. The extensions are currently available for Chrome and Firefox users. Meanwhile, people who have switched to the DuckDuckGo web browser already have their AI settings preserved, even if they clear their…

Location : The M6 southbound between junctions J23 and J21A . Reason : Congestion. Status : Currently Active. Return To Normal : Normal traffic conditions are expected between 16:00 and 16:15 on 1 June 2026. Delay : There are currently delays of 40 minutes against expected traffic. Earlier Reason : Caused by an earlier accident. Source link

Community Base, based in Brighton and Hove, has been awarded £20,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund. The funding will help the centre continue delivering signposting and support services through its drop-in reception, printed directory and an online search – essential tools for helping people access the services they need. Olivia Canham, director of Community Base, said: “With recent funding cuts to the sector, services now change continually – leaving users confused and stranded. “This is compounded by Covid forcing many in-person services online or to phone only, with no post-lockdown reset. “This makes our rare face-to-face signposting service crucial,…

Monday 01 June 2026 2:12 pm Khan said London was “proud to be the tech capital of Europe” Sadiq Khan has insisted London is “busy writing” the future of AI despite the “dizzying” risks posed by the technology, as fresh figures show the capital has reclaimed its position as Europe’s leading tech hub.The Mayor of London said AI presents both “impacts and opportunities”, but argued the capital was well placed to benefit from the sector’s rapid growth, pointing to a surge in investment into London startups and AI firms.“We face some monumental challenges, from conflict to the climate emergency, from…