Web design news

• IBM won’t develop facial recognition tech for mass surveillance anymore

  09-06-2020 08:18 via thenextweb.com
  
  IBM said yesterday that it won’t offer or develop general-purpose facial recognition technology to encourage responsible usage of tech by law enforcement. The company has been a big player in the field for years offering several solutions. In a letter to Congress, IBM’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, addressed the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and said the company would like to work with officials to achieve racial equality.  Krishna suggested that
  
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• Microsoft plans to accelerate AI in the Nordics, commits $3.2B to Sweden

  03-06-2024 18:13 via thenextweb.com
  
  Microsoft plans to invest $3.2bn (€2.9bn) to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in Sweden, marking the company’s biggest single investment in the Nordic nation. The initiative aims to help boost Sweden’s competitiveness in the burgeoning artificial intelligence sector. As part of this goal, Microsoft will deploy 20,000 of the most advanced GPUs — needed for AI training — to its three existing data centres located in Sandviken, Gävle, and Staffanstorp. The t
  
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• Dutch startup BioBX bags €80M to turn plastic waste into hydrocarbons

  03-06-2024 17:14 via thenextweb.com
  
  A Dutch startup has devised a way to convert mountains of plastic waste into chemicals essential for the production of a wide range of goods, from bottles to batteries.  BioBTX has patented the process — known as Integrated Cascading Catalytic Pyrolysis — and just secured €80mn to scale it up.  Armed with the fresh funds, the company will build a factory in Groningen capable of converting 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year into chemicals like benzene, toluene, and
  
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• Creandum raises €500M fund as European tech investment shows signs of recovery

  03-06-2024 11:48 via thenextweb.com
  
  Swedish VC firm Creandum — an early backer of Spotify and Klarna — has raised €500mn to fund budding European tech startups. The fund comes at a potentially watershed moment for tech investment in Europe. After a two-year capital dry spell in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector is showing signs of a comeback. “We feel very bullish about the prospects for Europe,” Creandum said in a statement. “In the last quarter, we saw upticks both in funding and v
  
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• Babbel CEO: AI will redefine language learning — but won’t replace it

  03-06-2024 09:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  In our diverse and interconnected world, learning foreign languages is not only a powerful skill, but also essential for cross-cultural communication. But as translation and interpretation tools become more and more advanced, supercharged by generative AI, a question emerges: will technology replace the need for learning foreign languages? “AI won’t make language learning obsolete,” says Arne Schepker, CEO at Babbel, which claims to be the world’s first language-learning
  
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• A Deep Dive into YouTube’s Layout 2.0

  01-06-2024 09:32 via webdesignernews.com
  This article delves into the effects of these changes, exploring how they influence content creators’ strategies and YouTube’s overall user engagement.
  
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• Fresh Tools for Modern Web Design & Development

  01-06-2024 09:30 via webdesignernews.com
  It’s that time again to check out some tools, libraries, and frameworks for our web developer friends. This month’s collection has a bunch of goodies, from cool JavaScript libraries to handy tools for GitHub releases, and even a DIY version of Heroku you can host yourself.
  
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• User Research Is Storytelling

  01-06-2024 09:27 via webdesignernews.com
  It’s sad to say, but many have come to see research as being expendable. If budgets or timelines are tight, research tends to be one of the first things to go. Instead of investing in research, some product managers rely on designers or—worse—their own opinion to make the “right” choices for users based on their experience or accepted best practices.
  
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• 20 Effective User Research Tactics

  01-06-2024 09:24 via webdesignernews.com
  Welcome to the second (and final) instalment of the UX research methods playbook. Hopefully splitting it makes the content less cumbersome and easier to use.
  
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• Why Spain just banned Meta’s new EU election voting features

  31-05-2024 16:50 via thenextweb.com
  
  Spain’s privacy watchdog has barred Meta from launching two features on Facebook and Instagram that the tech giant says were intended to encourage users to vote in the upcoming EU elections.  The tools, dubbed Election Day Information (EDI) and Voter Information Unit (VIU), would send notifications to all eligible Instagram and Facebook users in the EU, reminding them to vote.  Both features were set to be rolled out imminently across the EU (except for in Italy, which already h
  
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• Tesla supplier STMicroelectronics to build €5B EV chip fab in Italy

  31-05-2024 11:39 via thenextweb.com
  
  STMicroelectronics has announced plans to build a giant factory in Italy that will make specialist microchips for EVs and other high-voltage power devices. The Swiss firm is the world’s largest producer of silicon carbide microchips, particularly valued by automakers for being lightweight, energy-efficient, and strong. This translates to EVs that can drive further and are less prone to technical failures.  STMicroelectronics’ new facility will specialise in making 200mm wafers.
  
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• The Power of Familiarity in UX Design

  31-05-2024 09:33 via webdesignernews.com
  Familiarity enables the transfer of experience between similar products or services, allowing us to be productive without first learning how a system works. When we encounter familiar interface patterns and conventions, we intuitively understand them based on previous experience. This rule of thumb is the basis of Jakob’s Law and helps guide design decisions.
  
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• May 2024 UX Roundup: Insights and Trends

  31-05-2024 09:28 via webdesignernews.com
  UX as presented to the general public | Learn typography concepts through interactive exercises | Use AI for personal tasks, for example supermarket shopping | Growth expected in UX jobs in 2024 | Where should UX report within a big company
  
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• Mobile Design Inspiration

  31-05-2024 09:24 via webdesignernews.com
  Curated and handpicked by the best for the best. Discover your next mobile design idea here.
  
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• Why AI User Research Falls Short

  31-05-2024 09:21 via webdesignernews.com
  There are two objections that (much like GPT outputs) are so common they are themselves practically commodities, that inevitably crop up in defense of AI “design.” AI skeptics will say: We will only use the LLM as a starting point, or to bounce off ideas, and verify its work. And AI boosters will say: Our model won’t have this problem, it will be uniquely high-quality because we will train it ourselves.
  
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• High-Definition Danish Modern Design

  31-05-2024 09:14 via webdesignernews.com
  Digital projectors have become one of the most curiously creative devices in home technology today, both in their evolving list of features as well as novel form factors.
  
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• Enhancing UX Research Through Rapport

  31-05-2024 09:12 via webdesignernews.com
  Building rapport, or a positive connection, with participants is widely recognised as a crucial element in user experience (UX) research. When participants feel comfortable and engaged, they are more likely to share their true thoughts, feelings, and experiences – leading to a deeper understanding of their needs and pain points.
  
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• The rise of Heat Geek — a startup hell-bent on bringing heat pumps to the Brits

  31-05-2024 09:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  Missing the chance to install a heat pump in his London home had always bothered tech industry whizz Aadil Qureshi. While builders were in the middle of renovating and extending his terraced house during the depths of the pandemic, he had stumbled on a YouTube channel called Heat Geek.  The videos explained — in extreme detail — how heat pumps, when installed correctly, are the most efficient option for heating the vast majority of homes. Qureshi devoured tutorial after tutoria
  
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• Swiss AI startup saving Swiss chocolate secures $16M

  30-05-2024 17:12 via thenextweb.com
  
  From semiconductors to chocolate, you’d be surprised how many products are already made with the help of AI.   And it’s precisely on the factory floor where Swiss startup EthonAI is looking to gain a foothold in this emerging market.  “Manufacturing is at a critical juncture, and companies that fail to adapt with AI risk falling behind,” said CEO Julian Senoner, who co-founded EthonAI after completing his PhD in AI systems at ETH Zurich.   &
  
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• Netherlands, France, and Germany lead ‘largest ever’ botnet sting

  30-05-2024 16:06 via thenextweb.com
  
  Four people have been arrested in the “largest ever operation against botnets,” EU police force Europol announced on Thursday. The Netherlands, Germany, and France led the sting, dubbed “Operation Endgame.” According to Dutch police, their investigation uncovered financial damages totalling “hundreds of millions” of euros. They also estimate that the malware has infected millions of systems. The botnets’ primary purpose was deploying ransomware. On
  
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• Supercell’s new hit game Squad Busters is pure dopamine — if you’re 8

  30-05-2024 13:04 via thenextweb.com
  
  Finnish mobile game developer Supercell released Squad Busters yesterday, its first new title in over five years. The game launched alongside an admittedly hilarious promo video featuring the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Ken Jeong.  At the time of writing, Squad Busters has already been downloaded over 10 million times on Google Play. It was the most downloaded app in 122 countries on Wednesday.  I gave the new game a whirl to find out what all the fuss was about. Like Supercell&rsquo
  
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• Web-hosting startup Hostinger hit €110M revenue in 2023, praises AI for 57% growth

  30-05-2024 09:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  Web-hosting platform Hostinger today announced a 57% year-on-year growth of its consolidated revenue, reaching €110.2mn in 2023 — surpassing the €100mn milestone for the first time since its founding in 2004. This was also Hostinger’s first year of EBITDA profitability. The Lithuanian company reached € 2.4mn in EBITDA profit, while maintaining positive cash flow. Born in Vilnius, Hostinger helps its customers scale their online activity, offering products an
  
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• 68% of British MPs have had personal data exposed on the dark web

  30-05-2024 06:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  Over two-thirds of British MPs and almost half of EU MEPs have had their email addresses leaked on the dark web. That’s according to new research from cybersecurity firm Proton. With election season looming in the UK and the EU, the company partnered with Constella Intelligence to explore online threats to national security. The team focused on 2,279 politicians in the European Parliament, UK House of Commons, and the French National Assembly and Senate. They found a whopping 918 &md
  
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• Space tech startup Open Cosmos to build Greece’s first flagship satellite constellation

  29-05-2024 18:01 via thenextweb.com
  
  Open Cosmos, the UK-based startup that uses satellites to fight climate change, has secured a contract of €60mn to build seven satellites for Greece. Dubbed Optical Constellation, this will be the country’s first flagship satellite project. The satellites in the Greek constellation will collect data in low Earth orbit, aiming to improve public services. Use cases range from providing fresh insights for the land registry to increasing agricultural efficiency and combating sea pollutio
  
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• ESA satellite launches Dutch tech into space to study climate change

  29-05-2024 16:27 via thenextweb.com
  
  Dutch tech has launched into space onboard a spacecraft designed to analyse climate change. The EarthCARE satellite — a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Japanese peer JAXA — lifted off today on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Equipped with four instruments, the mission aims to unearth new insights about the impact of clouds and aerosols on our climate. Dutch tech features prominently in those plans. One key contribution comes from TNO, a research organisa
  
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• With hallucinations waning, AI is diving deeper into scientific research

  29-05-2024 14:13 via thenextweb.com
  
  Scientific research has become one of the most promising applications for artificial intelligence. It’s also become one of the most divisive. Across the world, tech firms are directing AI’s analytical power into tools for academics. Gradually, they’re entering every stage of the research process. Today’s scientists can use TLDR to summarise study papers, Litmaps to find research gaps, Consensus to discover insights from expert scholars, and HeyScience for peer revie
  
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• From financial crime fighters to net-zero defenders: 4 Oslo startups to watch

  29-05-2024 11:44 via thenextweb.com
  
  The startup scene in the Nordics is bustling, driven by well-established and evolving hubs alike. Among the region’s growing tech forces is Oslo, which analysts have ranked 17th in the top 100 emerging ecosystems in the world. Norway’s capital city houses over 2,000 startups and scaleups, with particular strengths in ICT, healthtech and life sciences, energy, and fintech. Oslo is also home to seven unicorns, including popular game-based learning platform Kahoot!, paper tablet develo
  
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• Why today’s CTO needs to be a Composable Technology Officer

  29-05-2024 10:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  With Google’s repeated postponements of cookie deprecation, many businesses face the prospect of making significant changes to the way they operate. And it’s the CTO who is mainly responsible for supporting these changes, as new media strategies require innovative technical approaches. While keeping an eye on their technology options as they continue to drive digital transformation projects — Generative AI, large language models and automation, for starters — CTOs charge
  
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• TNW Podcast: Marta Krupinska on carbon removal markets; B2B AI translation is hot

  29-05-2024 09:34 via thenextweb.com
  
   Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Ioanna and Andrii talk about AI translation news, the early demise of Spotify’s Car Thing, Chinese LLMs, and much more. The guest of the show is Marta Krupinska, CEO and co-founder of CUR8, a market-maker platform for carbon removals. H
  
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• Essential Design Trends to Watch in June 2024

  29-05-2024 08:46 via webdesignernews.com
  Summer is off to a fun start with some highly dramatic website design trends showing up in projects. Let’s dive in!
  
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