Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

A growing number of Bluetooth trackers can tap into Apple’s Find My network these days, but none combine that with Apple’s latest ultra wideband (UWB) chip, which powers even better Precision Finding than before. Precision Finding uses on-screen arrows and distance indicators in the Find My app to guide you directly to a misplaced item, while the second-generation AirTag’s upgraded chip and extended Bluetooth range make it faster and more reliable to locate tags, even in multistory homes. You can also use Precision Finding to find lost items on an Apple Watch, provided you have a Series 9 or later.…

OpenAI says it has reduced the price of two GPT-5.6 models, cutting Luna’s API price by 80% and Terra’s by 20% as it works to make its models more efficient. As per the updated pricing, GPT-5.6 Luna now costs $0.20 per million input tokens and $1.20 per million output tokens, down from $1 and $6. Likewise, Terra has dropped from $2.50 to $2 per million input tokens and from $15 to $12 per million output tokens. Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v4.1 Source: OpenAI In a post on X, OpenAI also noted that the new prices affect how it counts usage in Codex…

In brief A German court ruled that Suno infringed copyrights by using music from GEMA’s catalog without a license. The decision requires licenses for both AI model training and AI-generated music. Suno said it disagrees with the ruling and is considering an appeal. A German court has ruled against AI music startup Suno in a copyright lawsuit brought by music rights organization GEMA.According to a report by Variety, the Munich Regional Court found that Suno violated copyright law by using music from GEMA’s catalog to train its AI models and by reproducing protected works without a license. The ruling requires…

Flammability test results for commercial-off-the-shelf webbings that meet NASA flammability requirements are reported for use in elevated oxygen environments anticipated for future lunar and Martian missions. Testing demonstrated that a webbing composed of 60% Kevlar®/40% polybenzimidazole (PBI) from Sturges Manufacturing Company, Inc., specifically the natural version, passed flammability testing per NASA-STD-6001B Test 1 using a surface ignition in J-configuration at 37% oxygen and 8.2 psia. Offgassing data are also provided for the natural webbing, which is gold colored. These findings support their potential use as suitable webbingsfor softgoods applications, although final performance and wear characteristics must be validated in full…

Coral reef scientists, conservationists, policymakers and community leaders from more than 90 countries met July 19-24 at the International Coral Reefs Symposium in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.Participants discussed how to combat the drivers of climate change, how to characterize and communicate the current condition of coral reefs, and how to empower Indigenous communities and integrate their knowledge systems, among other topics.During the week of the conference, a new U.S.-based coral reef research center was launched and the first-ever high-resolution mapping of living corals for the Pacific Ocean was announced.The next International Coral Reef Symposium will take place in Rio…

I write as someone whose disabilities mean that I will be in receipt of social care support my whole life (Andy Burnham seeks cross-party agreement on future of social care, 27 July). For too long, people like me have been cannon fodder for politicians who routinely forget that their highest duty in providing social care is to protect those less able, or unable, to care for themselves. Investing in the right support for us unlocks our often-forgotten abilities. When we are successful, it is often because we have had opportunity to be because of that support, and when we aren’t,…

United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel is “very happy” about the newly announced deal with the Palestinian group Hamas, even though the country has yet to agree to its terms.Friday’s statement came as Trump led a cabinet meeting at Maryland’s Camp David, a presidential retreat.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe US president explained that the deal may go through “ups and down” as the situation remains “complex”, but he presented a rosy picture overall.“We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel’s very happy about it. Israel helped us with it,” Trump said of the agreement.Hours…

France too has struggled to maintain warm relations with the two bitterly opposed Maghreb rivals. But it is Spain that finds itself particularly vulnerable because of Ceuta and Melilla.Both towns have origins dating back millennia to the Phoenician era, then later fell under Arab rule before being seized by Spain in the 16th Century, in the aftermath of the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula. But in practical modern terms, both are outposts of EU terrain on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, bounded on the landward side only by Morocco.So yesterday’s influx of migrants, however temporary, is a practical…

The iconic Lovell telescope, housed at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, has always expanded our view of the universe – from tracking the Sputnik launch in 1957 to its current contributions to the study of dark matter. It is now threatened with closure after it was announced that government funding will not continue past March 2028. The projected savings are just £2.8m a year.This is just the latest in a rolling package of cuts from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – which disperses government funding to particle, astro and nuclear physics, among other disciplines – aimed at saving about £160m over the…

Smith’s motion asked the council to “rescind” the pledge and request council officers to “review any policies, targets and spending commitments” introduced as a result of the declaration.It also asked the council to “reaffirm its commitment to clean streets, parks, recycling, flood protection and other local environmental services that matter to residents” and to ensure future environmental initiatives are only pursued where they are “affordable, evidence-based and delivering clear benefits” for residents.But councillor Rachael Taylor, Green group leader, said the motion “created a false choice between climate action and delivering good local services”.She said the council already “considers affordability, value…