Category: Technologies

Social network Bluesky has recorded a significant increase in new users. This happened against the backdrop of an outflow of users from platform X (formerly Twitter) after the US presidential election. The platform has reached 14.5 million users.

Social network Bluesky has attracted more than 700 ,000 new users in the week after the US election, as users seek to avoid misinformation and offensive messages on X, The Guardian reports, according to UNN.

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The influx of new users, mainly from North America and the UK, helped Bluesky reach 14.5 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said.

Social media researcher Axel Bruns said the platform offers an alternative to X, formerly Twitter, including a more effective system for blocking or suspending problem accounts and controlling harmful behavior.

"It's become a haven for people who want to have the same social media experience that Twitter used to provide, but without all the far-right activism, disinformation, hate speech, bots, and all the rest of it," he said.

"The more liberal Twitter community has now really fled from there and seems to have moved en masse to Bluesky," the researcher noted.

Addendum

Bluesky started as a project within Twitter but became an independent company in 2022 and is now largely owned by CEO Jay Graeber.

Previously, the platform benefited from the discontent with X and its billionaire owner Elon Musk, who is closely associated with the successful election campaign of US President-elect Donald Trump. Twitter has lost millions of users since rebranding to X, and US usage has fallen by more than one-fifth in seven months.

Bluesky reported attracting 3 million new users in the week after X was blocked in Brazil in September, and another 1.2 million in the two days after X announced that it would allow users to view messages from people who had blocked them.

"We're excited to welcome all these new people, from Swifties to wrestlers to city planners," said Bluesky spokesperson Emily Liu.

Bluesky is still second to Threads in the social networking category in Apple's US App Store, which reported reaching 275 million monthly active users in November, up from 200 million in August.

The independent platform is said to have recently added features including direct messaging and video compatibility to be more like X and differentiate itself from its Meta-owned competitor.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has signed a contract with Rheinmetall and ICEYE to use SAR satellite data. The military will have access to high-precision satellite imagery regardless of weather conditions and time of day.

Defense forces will receive more detailed photos of the battlefield from SAR satellites – the Defense Ministry has signed a contract with Rheinmetall and ICEYE, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, UNN reports.

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"This year, Ukraine will receive much more high resolution satellite imagery from SAR satellites. The military command will be able to determine the areas to be imaged depending on the intensity of hostilities," the Defense Ministry said.

As indicated, this was made possible with the support of the German government. As part of the cooperation, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, German industrial giant Rheinmetall and international SAR satellite company ICEYE have reportedly signed a contract to use satellite data for Ukraine's defense.

SAR satellites are said to be able to generate images with ultra-high detail regardless of weather conditions or time of day. "This will help the Ukrainian Defense Forces improve situational awareness on the battlefield and make effective management decisions. The military will have access to the information resource of the entire ICEYE satellite constellation," the statement said.

"We are expanding our intelligence capabilities through cooperation with international partners. Thanks to this contract, our military will have access to high-precision satellite imagery with full coverage of the combat zone. The command will be able to independently determine the priority areas of observation and quickly receive up-to-date data through the ICEYE satellite system. By introducing advanced space reconnaissance technologies, we are creating a technological advantage that increases combat capability and protects our military," commented Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Ukraine signs agreement on space exploration with Finnish satellite company ICEYEJul 9 2024, 04:04 AM • 22678 views

SpaceX is preparing to launch a tender offer for the sale of shares in December at a price of $135 per share. The company could be valued at more than $250 billion and expects a favorable government attitude after Trump's possible victory.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is preparing to launch a tender offer in December to sell shares at $135 per share, citing two sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports, UNN writes.

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According to sources, the tender offer values SpaceX at more than $250 billion.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Musk, the richest man in the world, is expected to have significant influence in Washington to ensure that the government's attitude toward his companies, including SpaceX, is favorable after Donald Trump's victory for a second presidential term, the publication points out.

Musk's dream of bringing humans to Mars may also become a more important national priority under Trump, Reuters reported earlier this month.

NASA's Artemis program, which aims to use SpaceX's Starship rocket to bring humans to the moon as a testing ground for subsequent missions to Mars, is expected to focus on the Red Planet under Trump and aim for unmanned missions there this decade.

Under Trump, SpaceX is also expected to insist on even more lenient rules for employee safety and the safety of private spaceflight participants in orbit.

A Reuters investigation last year documented at least 600 injuries to workers at SpaceX facilities across the United States, as well as how SpaceX ignored safety rules and standard practices.

For reference

A tender offer is reportedly an offer made by an investor to the shareholders of a public company. The offer consists of a tender or sale of their shares at a certain price at a predetermined time.

An exhibition of Western components used by Russia in its weapons against Ukraine was held in Berlin. The exhibition showed that Russia imported chips worth $4 billion despite the sanctions.

An exhibition illustrating Western parts used in Russian weapons against Ukraine was held in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition demonstrated the extent to which Western electronics are used in Russian missiles and drones. This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, UNN reports.

It is noted that since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, no restrictions have prevented Russia from importing $4 billion worth of chips and microchips.

At the same time, more than half of the semiconductors and integrated circuits imported by Russia in 2023 were produced by American and European companies.

"Even the missile used by the Russians to hit the Okhmatdyt hospital on July 8 was based on Western components," the report said.

The committee also added that in October alone, more than 2,000 "shaheds" were launched against Ukraine, with more than 170,000 components that should be blocked from being delivered to the aggressor country.

"This reminds us once again that sanctions must be strengthened and made even more effective. I am grateful to the drone manufacturer Quantum Systems for hosting the event and providing practical military and technical support to Ukraine. I hope the exhibition was useful for our fellow Bundestag members. We hope to hold it in the German parliament as well!" – said Yevheniia Kravchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Committee.

During the exhibition, the MP also turned on the sound of a shahed for greater realism.

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The Russians are constantly trying to modify and modernize all types of missiles and drones they have, which they use to attack Ukraine. Experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise (Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise) in a commentary to UNN toldwhat features are involved and what role Western components play in the changes of enemy weapons.

For example, experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise foundthat the Russian X-69 missiles used by the occupiers to hit Ukraine are made of several types of weapons and have foreign components.

President Zelenskiy announces the testing of four types of new Ukrainian missiles. UAH 775 billion is allocated from the state budget for the production of drones in 2025.

Ukraine has four types of missiles, and they are currently being tested. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Suspilne on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ukrainian Radio, UNN reports.

For almost three years, changes in the private and public sectors have led to the fact that we are definitely the most technologically advanced in Europe. When it comes to drones and electronic warfare systems, we have not yet achieved great results. But, nevertheless, we have them. We have four types of missiles and are currently testing them. Then there are naval drones, which have destroyed a large number of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

– Zelensky said.

The President believes that Ukraine is doing a good job in terms of technology and weapons.

"We have raised a lot of money from outside. And our budget, for example, includes UAH 775 billion for our drones and internal orders in 2025 alone. We already have this money. And this is only our money. And plus all other guaranteed finances from partners," Zelensky said.

Budget 2025: UAH 55 billion will be allocated for arms production more than last yearNov 12 2024, 10:31 AM • 29112 views

Addendum

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has crossed the mark of the first hundred missile weapons this year, and that this area is planned to be increased.

In October, Zelenskyy announced the successful flight test of a new Ukrainian ballistic missile.

Apple has updated its professional audio editor Logic Pro for Mac and iPad with new features for mixing and recording. Mastering Assistant, new sound packs, and 32-bit recording capabilities have been added.

Apple has released an updated version of its software for musicians and producers. The Mac and iPad versions of Logic Pro get several new features.

Reported by UNN with reference to The Verge and Teknavi.

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Apple on Wednesday released a major update to Logic Pro, its professional audio workstation software. New features will help improve the process of writing, producing, and mixing tracks.

For example, in Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 and Logic Pro for iPad 2.1, you can now reorder channel and plug-in bands in the Mixer and Plug-In windows to help you organize your audio mix.

Changes in Logic Pro 1.1 for iPad, according to Apple:

• The new Mastering Assistant feature allows you to add a professional finishing touch to your recordings with tools for analyzing and adjusting sound.
• Apple has added a library of analog synthesizer samples called Modular Melodies, similar to the Modular Rhythms package. It includes hundreds of loops recorded using hardware synthesizers, and a collection of Alchemy synthesizer patches has been added.
• New versions of Logic Pro for Mac and iPad include the free Hybrid Textures Sample Alchemy sound pack.
• More convenient browsing of samples, loops, and instruments in the browser – you can do this by swiping up or down.
• Support for split view and organizer has been added, which will help you use other programs (such as Sanelinta) without any problems.
• Quick Sampler features live recording with the built-in microphone or any connected audio device, and then the ability to create instruments and drum kits.
• Mix audio with Beat Breaker, a sophisticated time and pitch conversion tool.
• With the new Slip and Rotate tools, you can move content within an area regardless of its position on the timeline.

Also, the ability to record with 32-bit floating point numbers is now available when using supported audio devices.

OpenAI challenges Google: ChatGPT will now also be able to search the webNov 1 2024, 11:08 AM • 13445 views

Logic Pro currently allows you to transfer projects between Mac and iPad and vice versa. You can also transfer audio tracks from Logic Pro to Final Cut Pro on iPad.

Microsoft detects large-scale phishing attack from Russian hackers Midnight BlizzardOct 30 2024, 08:00 AM • 14899 views

In October, sales of Chinese cars in Ukraine fell by 8% year-on-year to 1.2 thousand units. 81% of Chinese cars sold were electric vehicles, with Honda M-NV as the top seller.

In October, Ukrainians bought 1.2 thousand cars imported from China, reports Ukravtoprom.

Total sales decreased by 8% compared to October 2023. Written by UNN with reference to Ukravtoprom.

In October, Ukrainians bought 1,200 cars from China, down 8% from October 2023, Ukravtoprom reports. Of these, 81% were electric vehicles.

Sales of new cars grew by 11% to 979 units, while purchases of used cars decreased by 47% to 228 units.The most popular models of new cars are Chinese-made:

1. HONDA M-NV – 188 units

2. VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 – 100 units

3. ZEEKR 001 – 94 units

4. BYD Song Plus – 74 units

5. AUDI Q4 e-tron – 41 units.

Among used cars, the most popular were:

1. ZEEKR 001 – 20 units 2. HONDA M-NV – 20 units 3. POLESTAR 2 – 17 units 4. BAIC EC3 – 15 units 5. VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 – 14 units.

Recall

In October, Ukrainians bought more than 1.9 thousand hybrid cars, which is 7% more than last year.

Ilya Lichtenstein has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for hacking the Bitfinex exchange in 2016. The hacker stole 120,000 bitcoins, the value of which increased from $71 million to almost $10 billion.

Liechtenstein pleaded guilty last year in the case of hacking the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex in 2016.

Writes UNN with reference to BBC.

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Ilya Lichtenstein, one of the people who admitted responsibility for hacking the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange in 2016, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Liechtenstein pleaded guilty last year to a case of hacking into the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange in 2016 and stealing nearly 120,000 bitcoins.

At the time, the amount stolen was estimated at $71 million, but later, given the sharp rise in the price of bitcoin, it rose to $4.5 billion.

Hungarian army procurement agency attacked by international hacker groupNov 14 2024, 01:30 PM • 15193 views

At today's exchange rate, this amount is close to $10 billion.

For reference

Lichtenstein, an entrepreneur and cryptocurrency investor, is a US citizen who was born in Russia and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.

Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, i.e. digital money that is not usually backed by any government or banking institution. Transactions are recorded using a technology called the blockchain.

NuggetNugget

Ukrainian special services were part of an international law enforcement group that blocked the infrastructure of LockBit hackers.

Chinese hackers collected audio from calls of Trump campaign adviserOct 28 2024, 07:28 AM • 15338 views

Bluesky social network recorded more than 1 million new registrations in 24 hours, reaching 16 million users. The platform was ranked first in the US App Store, ahead of ChatGPT and Threads.

Social network Bluesky said on Thursday evening that more than 1 million people had registered on the platform in 24 hours, making it one of the busiest days for the company, UNN reports citing TechCrunch.

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As indicated, this growth also means that the social network has passed the 16 million mark in total.

The platform's announcement came a few hours after Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said that Threads had more than 15 million registered users in November. He added that the Meta-owned platform has seen 1 million users sign up per day over the past three months.

Bluesky also encountered some problems on Thursday, as service was cut off for some users because one of the company's Internet service providers had cable issues that were superimposed on other malfunctions, according to a Bluesky developer.

AddendumAddendum

The decentralized social network has experienced a steady influx of users over the past few months due to various events, such as the ban of X in Brazil, moderation issues on Threads, and the recent US election results. X's owner Elon Musk was a well-known supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, and the social network (formerly known as Twitter), as the publication points out, "often promoted pro-Trump views in users' algorithmic feeds". After the US presidential election results, more than a million new people registered on the platform in a week, Bluesky reported on Tuesday.

At the time of writing, a surge in Bluesky registrations over the past 24 hours has also propelled the app to the top of the free apps chart in the US App Store, followed by ChatGPT and Threads.

Bluesky is still much smaller than Threads, which has over 275 million active users, and X. However, the platform's CEO Jay Graeber said earlier this week that Bluesky has higher engagement than X.

Bluesky wins as users flee X-Mask after US election: what's going onNov 12 2024, 11:38 AM • 92249 views

The founder of the largest battery manufacturer CATL has announced the inevitable failure of the Tesla 4680 technology. According to Robin Zeng, Elon Musk does not understand battery production.

CATL CEO and founder Robin Zeng disagrees with Tesla CEO Elon Musk's work style and directly attacked his “recipe” for battery production.

Writes UNN with reference to The Verge.

Robin Zeng, founder of the world's largest electric vehicle battery company, says Tesla CEO Elon Musk's big bet on 4,680-cell technology will “fail and never succeed.

“It will fail and will never succeed.” We had a big discussion and I showed him that. He was silent. He doesn't know how to make a battery. It's all electrochemistry. He is good at chips, software, hardware, mechanical things,” said CATL's CEO.

Elon Musk did not respond to Zeng's comments.

However, it is known that the industry is currently facing numerous challenges, such as extending the service life and preventing wear and tear during use so that the car can last up to 12 years, the time during which a consumer typically changes vehicles.

Trump Media and Tesla shares rise after Trump's second election victoryNov 6 2024, 01:17 PM • 25454 views

Earlier, Musk announced that these new cells would be a cheaper and easier way to produce and assemble all of his electric vehicles, which had 2170 and 1865 units.

Musk announced a competition for a new department with a requirement to work more than 80 hours a weekNov 15 2024, 12:43 AM • 13577 views