Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents and a major reason why auto insurance premiums are expected to increase in 2025. For commercial fleets, thats a nightmare. But for California-based startup Netradyne, its a tailwind.Netradyne provides fleet owners, including big names like Amazon, with AI-enabled dashcams that collect vehicle data and video to improve driver safety, reducing accidents by around 50%, per the company. The devices, which can come equipped with inward- and outward-facing cameras, also use edge computing to send drivers real-time notifications if theyre distracted or driving dangerously, while rewarding drivers for good behavior.TechCrunch last reported on Netradynes $150 million Series C in 2021, and since then the company has expanded beyond North America and India and into Germany, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. To further that growth into Ireland and into Japan in the coming months, Netradyne has just raised a $90 million Series D at a pre-money valuation of $1.35 billion, led by Point72 Private Investments with participation from Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital.And with great expansion comes great data. Over the years, Netradyne has accumulated over 18 billion miles worth of data, which the company says has helped improve the product to a point of 99% accuracy of alerts and 25 million better compliance scores.Aside from global expansion, the fresh capital will go toward improving the product and enhancing go-to-market investments.Today, fleets can access Netradynes Safety Manager Assistant, an AI-powered co-pilot that offers a natural language interface to the companys portal and uses generative AI to have conversations about data and insights. Avneesh Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Netradyne, told TechCrunch the company would invest more into generative AI, adding additional use cases to its co-pilot and a more agentic approach. Agrawal also noted that Netradyne would use its vast data to develop foundational driving models with a focus on corner case driving scenarios to enhance autonomous driving technology. We have rich vision data analyzing every aspect of road and driving behavior and reading different road signs. No one in the autonomous industry has this kind of data, Agrawal said. Our objective now is to train a driving model using generative AI to identify these edge cases.He added that its not Netradynes intention to develop its own AV technology, but rather to partner with others and offer the startups data and insights. Netradynes customers span fleets operating in online retail, food and beverage, oil and gas, utilities, construction, and more. The startup provides two main products. The first is a quad-view dashcam that collects footage from road-facing, driver-facing, and two side window cameras all in one easy-to-install device. This captures driver behavior, reduces blind spots, and provides evidence in case of an accident.The second is a dual-view camera, which faces both the road and the driver. Fleet owners that need more visibility can use the Hub-X add-on, which is an extension to the dashcam that supports up to four additional cameras to be placed anywhere theyre needed, like facing the back of a bus.The startup also offers a driver monitoring solution which can be added onto the quad camera to detect drowsy driving behaviors using a dedicated sensor with nighttime detection and the ability to see through most sunglasses, according to the company.In response to concerns around driver privacy, Agrawal says Netradyne is GDPR-compliant and never provides personally identifiable information of drivers externally.Investing in Netradyne is about believing in safer roads and supporting professional drivers, Sri Chandrasekar, managing partner at Point72 Private Investments, said. Since our initial investment in 2018, weve witnessed Netradynes impressive growth and believe their technology is well-positioned not only to empower fleet managers but also to foster a culture of safe driving.Agrawal said Netradyne has seen 65% growth in the last 12 months, and expects to be net profitable in the next year. This article has been updated to reflect Netradynes new valuation.

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'Gundam GQuuuuuuX' will be coming to theaters in the US this February.SunriseThe Gundam GQuuuuuuX compilation movie, now out in Japan, reveals it as a reimagining of Mobile Suit Gundam. While interesting, it feels like a missed opportunity.Now, this is not to say that Gundam GQuuuuuuX is bad or not interesting, but its what if scenario of shifting events around from the One Year War in the original Mobile Suit Gundam does feel a bit fanfiction-esque.Ikuto Yamashitas new mecha designs are great though in GQuuuuuuX, with the news of a Metal Robot Damashii toy (shown below) on the way this Summer being very welcome.However, if alternate-timeline Gundam series are now just reimagining what has gone before rather than creating something new, why not just animate something that was already made decades ago and was also hugely popular?Of course, I am referring to the serialized story For The Barrel in Newtype magazine back in 2000. This was and is a groundbreaking retelling of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, with a much more believable approach to the characters and especially the mecha designs.MORE FOR YOUWith the mobile suits redesigned as machining skins, these mecha were much more industrial in tone and penned by the very talented Junji Okubo.The upcoming Metal Robot Damashii toy of the titular Gundam from the anime.Bandai SpiritsFor gaming reference, Okubo also designed the very believable and industrial-looking vertical tanks in the equally groundbreaking Xbox game Steel Battalion, released in 2002 along with its entirely massive bespoke controller.So now that GQuuuuuuX is out, it just seems like if we arent getting an all-new alternate timeline story like Iron-Blooded Orphans or Witch from Mercury, and instead more of a what if fanfiction, then why not animate something that already did that excellently decades earlier?For The Barrel was a fascinating and groundbreaking retelling of the early parts of the Universal Century timeline, and to just leave that in favor of GQuuuuuuX feels like a waste.That said, the fact we still havent got an anime adaptation of the insanely popular Crossbone Gundam also warrants some serious discussion, but thats another matter entirely.Naturally, Im sure Ill enjoy the series of GQuuuuuuX once it airs, much like I did with Witch from Mercury before it. Its just that this seems like a missed opportunity when Gundam already has such a rich history of novels and mangas within its pantheon.The compilation Gundam GQuuuuuuX movie will be released in US theaters on February 28 and will be distributed by GKIDS.Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.

TikTok is veering toward a US shutdown after the Supreme Court upheld a divest-or-ban law.The app is set to leave app stores and may go dark on Sunday if its owner, ByteDance, doesn't divest.TikTok creators and their teams are tired from months of uncertainty, but cautiously hopeful too.TikTok is in trouble.The company is set to disappear from US app stores on Sunday due to adivest-or-ban lawthat requires its owner, ByteDance, to sell the app by January 19 or essentially cease operating in the country. TikTok may stop showing content in the US and "go dark" over the weekend.For TikTok creators and their teams, ongoing uncertainty around the app's US future has sparked frustration and fatigue."We've been dealing with this for months," said Julian Andrews, founder of talent management firm Talentiish. "I just sort of want the situation to be over so we know how to move on."Some in the talent community are cautiously optimistic that a solution will emerge to save TikTok. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to try to rescue the app once in office, though his options could be limited."So many of us are still holding out hope that it will work out," Barbara Jones, CEO of Outshine Talent, said.Others aren't holding their breath and are instead focusing on established alternatives, such as Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, as well as challenger apps like Clapper, Flip, and RedNote."Many of our clients are making accounts on RedNote and Flip as well as downloading their data from the TikTok app," Jones said. "They are trying to be as prepared as possible."Creators may be hesitant to commit to new platforms, however, when the advertising dollars are much more reliable on major players like Instagram.Instagram is, for the most part, the platform of choice among those Business Insider spoke to who are pivoting from TikTok.Fallen Media, which runs TikTok shows like "What's Poppin? With Davis!" said it will be heavily investing in Instagram reels, for example."I have suggested to my clients not to focus on any new platforms and focus on the tried and true," Andrews at Talentiish said.In the meantime, there's still no clear answer as to what happens this weekend."The truth is we don't really know what's going to happen on Sunday, which I think is the crazy part," said Fallen Media CEO Sol Betesh.Creators are exhausted and devastated to say goodbye to TikTokAs news stories around a TikTok ban swing between good news and legal defeats, some creators have sunk into despair. The Supreme Court loss on Friday hit particularly hard for those whose businesses depend on the app."The ruling is truly devastating for me as someone who built their platform starting on TikTok," said Sofia Bella, a TikTok creator with 4.8 million followers. "Losing the majority of my audience is a difficult reality to face, and while I'm doing everything I can to prepare, it's hard not to feel like I'm starting over."Andrews said the job of talent manager has teetered between acting as a therapist and strategist for the creators they manage.Some creators are actively fighting against a TikTok ban, including Vitus Spehar, who runs the news account @underthedesknews. Spehar has been covering breaking news and political developments around the divestment. They said Americans should call their senators and other representatives to demand action against the law.Still, other creators who have experienced burnout from TikTok are welcoming a possible shift if the app goes down."Generally, the tone from most internet creators I've spoken to has been entirely apathetic," said Tati Bruening, a TikTok creator with 2.4 million followers. "The pacing of content creation for TikTok was a recipe for burnout."Building a strategy for doomsdayEven as the creator economy braces for the loss of its favorite corner of the internet, this moment is a lesson for many."Stop building brands on social media that other people own," Jennifer Powell, a talent manager who works with creators like Tezza and Ty French, told BI. "This can and will happen again. Start your website, get newsletters going, blogs, use affiliates, turn it into a brand, and own your own little place on the web."A TikTok ban could also be a gold rush for social media startups as they race to fill the void."There's never been a better time to start a creation or curation company," said Em Herrera, a former investor at Slow Ventures who recently founded a firm called Creator Venture Accelerator.

Health & Beauty Office Space / Shang Interior ArchitectsOffices InteriorsShanghai, ChinaArchitects: Shang Interior ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:298 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 Lead Architects: Gu Xihan, Lu Yingfu More SpecsLess SpecsText description provided by the architects. In this workspace, Shang Interior Architects breaks away from the rigid norms of traditional office layouts by deconstructing and reorganizing the original structure. The goal was to create an unrestricted, fluid, and exploratory environment that fosters interaction between space and its users. By encouraging seamless activity and diverse collaboration, the design also addresses the essential needs of individual productivity.The original site was constrained by inadequate lighting and limited openness due to surrounding buildings and lush greenery. In response, Shang Interior Architects renovated the western faade, introducing windows to break the visual confinement, connecting the space to the terrace, and inviting natural light indoors. The exposed ceiling design mitigates the sense of oppression, enhancing the space's transparency and dynamism. This transformation not only achieves cross-ventilation from three directions but also allows the verdant exterior to flow inward, creating an office atmosphere that resonates with nature and actively engages one's senses.In terms of functionality, the layout balances the dual requirements of experimentation and creativity. Unlike conventional designs that confine laboratories and meeting rooms to separate, enclosed spaces, the brand's operational model leans toward a more flexible, dynamic, and collaborative approach. The design challenge lay in translating this philosophy into a cohesive spatial solution within limited square footage. Shang Interior Architects resolved this by merging seemingly disparate functions into an open, versatile central creative core. The core serves as the engine of innovation and the nerve center for the office, embodying the brand's working methodology in a tangible form.Positioned at the heart of the space, this creative core functions as the nucleus for team research, collaboration, and co-creation. Here, experimentation, discussion, and ideation seamlessly converge. Surrounding the core, all work areas remain open, and even the founder's desk is integrated into the communal zone, eliminating hierarchical barriers and promoting real-time communication and idea exchange. The fluid and open nature of the design disrupts conventional office hierarchies, fostering a shared and equitable work ecosystem.The spatial flow emphasizes freedom and adaptability, challenging the fixed layouts and rigid circulation of traditional offices. Workstations are seen as vessels for thought, accommodating scattered and dynamic workflows while preserving continuity in personal projects. Individuals are encouraged to spread out their work, ensuring better connectivity and progression of ideas. Features like bar-style communal tables in the pantry, window-side niches, and flexible meeting rooms with sliding doors enable diverse working styles. Workers can sit, stand, or lean within the space, maintaining productivity without spatial constraints. This design nurtures a focused, immersive, and calm state, meeting one of the key objectives of the workspace.The external meeting room is no longer a closed space. The four-panel sliding doors can either separate or fully open the area, creating a more dynamic and engaging work environment. This design of freedom and fluidity enables creativity and communication to flourish in every corner.Upon entering the space, visitors are greeted by light-green embossed steel flooring that aligns seamlessly with the brand's aesthetic, paired with metallic ceilings. The partially revealed interior evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue, sparking the curiosity of visitors. Passing through the slightly lowered entrance hall, the space opens up dramatically into expansive work zones interwoven with a multifunctional central island. The greenery visible through the windows creates a serene yet vibrant atmosphere, uplifting the mood and adding a touch of tranquility. Except for the enclosed storage and restroom areas, all other zones are designed with an open layout. The walls and ceilings do not fully meet, fostering a sense of spatial fluidity throughout.The custom-designed mobile storage cabinets, tailored specifically for the brand, cleverly address storage needs. Each shelf's height is meticulously adjusted to accommodate experimental samples. By employing a thoughtful storage design, the cabinets ensure accessibility, internal order, and spatial fluidity, fostering an uninterrupted and seamless workflow experience. Additionally, the storage units serve as spatial dividers, maintaining visual transparency throughout the office. All birchwood panel joints within the space utilize a custom mortise-and-tenon structure, reflecting precision and craftsmanship. Through these ingenious design elements, Shang Interior Architects has created an open space brimming with limitless possibilities, where creativity flows freely in every corner.Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Shanghai, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 18, 2025Cite: "Health & Beauty Office Space / Shang Interior Architects" 18 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025705/health-and-beauty-office-space-shang-interior-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save?Health & Beauty / You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 15 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08424-7Nuclear calcium oscillations initiate plantarbuscular mycorrhiza and nitrogen-fixing bacteria symbioses for nutrient acquisition, with a newly discovered autoactive CNGC15 mutant enhancing these partnerships, potentially improving crop nutrition and reducing inorganic fertilizer dependence.

Jan. 18, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Since its debut in 2020, Genshin Impact has done a very good job of convincing players to purchase in-game items and currency with real-world money. Now, Genshin Impact's parent company, HoYoverse, may have to send some of that money back to players following a settlement with Federal Trade Commission.According to Bloomberg, the FTC is near the end of negotiations with HoYoverse to settle a case that began last summer over Genshin Impact's loot box-like currency system. The terms of the deal haven't been disclosed yet, but it's likely going to include a rebate of some amount to players who heavily invested their money into the game.Genshin Impact doesn't have a traditional loot box system. Instead, it utilizes a complex Gacha system that allows players to convert real money into in-game currency, which must then be converted again into another currency before players can "wish" for a specific character or rare item. However, there are no guarantees that the wish will be successful, and this system has drawn comparisons to online gambling.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The world of Storybook Vale has three big biomes with many new regions for Dreamers to unlock. You can find everything in these biomes, from cooking ingredients and flowers to fish and shiny gems. Speaking of gems, this expansion brings a bunch of new ones to the game.