Generally, the nights of and near the new moon when the moon is not illuminated are better for most stargazing experiences. Here are the dates of new moons this year.

IdeasBy Hans Vestberg and Robert F. SmithJanuary 24, 2025 10:12 AM ESTVestberg is the chairman and chief executive officer of Verizon and chairman of the EDISON AllianceSmith is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity PartnersIn an increasingly digital world, connectivity is a necessity. Yet, nearly a third of the global population remains offline, unable to access the services vital to participating in our global digital economy and society. The Edison Alliance at the World Economic Forum has worked to change that by delivering digital connectivity and access to financial, healthcare, and education services to those who need them most. Our partnerships with governments, industries, and non-governmental organizations drive lasting systemic change.The World Economic Forum played a pivotal role in launching and guiding the Alliances work, providing a platform for stakeholders to come together and commit to a vision with actionable ideas and plans. CEOs, ministers, and heads of international organizations harnessed the power of public-private partnerships and gathered to discuss the barriers to connectivity and identify scalable solutions.The 1 Billion Lives Challenge, achieved by the Edison Alliance in 2024, one year ahead of schedule, exemplifies what can be achieved when diverse stakeholders work toward a common goal. Through partnerships with telecom providers, financial institutions, technology companies, and policymakers, the Alliance delivers impactful programs worldwide. In India, we are using digital tools to connect rural communities to vital health services. In Africa and the U.S., mobile banking solutions empower millions of unbanked individuals with access to financial services. In Latin America, digital literacy initiatives opened new educational opportunities for often underrepresented populations.Each of our efforts underscore the profound impact of digital connectivity. For the rural farmer in Kenya, it means access to real-time market information that can increase yield and revenue. For the student in a remote village in Peru, it means access to online learning platforms and global educational resources. For the small business owner in Indonesia, it means the ability to reach new markets and grow. Connectivity, quite simply, is the key to unlocking potential and reducing inequality.Achieving the 1 Billion Lives Challenge is not just a milestone, as every life touched is a life improved and a call to further action. It demonstrates that global challengesno matter how complexcan be addressed when we come together with purpose and determination. But our work is far from over. While one billion people have better and more comprehensive access to our digital world, billions more still lack access to these critical digital tools. And, the adoption of AI and Generative AI tools threatens to further widen that gap. The digital divide remains one of the most pressing issues of our time, and the Alliance is committed to continuing its efforts to close it.The World Economic Forum will remain a critical organization for advancing our work. It is a place where leaders are not only inspired to think big but are also held accountable for delivering on their commitments. The Forums unique structure, which emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration, ensures that progress is not just discussed but achieved. It is in this spirit that the EDISON Alliance was born, and this is the spirit that will launch further efforts to expand access to vital resources and opportunities. Our work will continue through new initiatives like the World Economic Forums AI for Prosperity and Growth in Africa, launched at this years Annual Meeting.Looking ahead, we see a world where connectivity is available to all who want it. This vision requires sustained effort, innovation, and investment. It requires us to address the structural barriers that perpetuate the digital divide, from affordability and infrastructure to digital literacy and policy frameworks. It requires us to keep asking tough questions and pooling our resources to push the boundaries of what is possible. We call on the public and private sectors to increase their collaboration so we can meet these bold ambitions. Together, we will build a world where no one is left behind in the digital age.

A hot potato: Meta and Mark Zuckerberg have been through a lot of changes this month, many of which have upset some people. Removing fact-checkers, allowing users to say pretty much anything, and killing diversity programs led to calls for a boycott of Meta platforms. It doesn't appear to have much of an effect on its user numbers, though things might have been different had TikTok's future been more certain. Earlier this month, Zuckerberg signaled that he wanted Meta to be more like X by removing "politically biased" third-party fact checkers in favor of community notes and focusing on free speech and political discourse. The company is also killing its DEI programs.Some users of Meta's platforms deleted their accounts in protest at the new policies. There were also calls for a boycott from R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe, who urged people to log out of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, WhatsApp, Giphy, Meta Quest, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for a week as part of a campaign called "Lights Out Meta."View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe)As noted by Business Insider, several analytics firms reported a slight decline in engagement among Meta users following the announcement of the changes. However, news of TikTok's impending ban sent many of ByteDance's users over to its rival's platforms. Facebook's number of Daily Active Users (DAUs) had been down 2% for most of January, according to Apptopia, but it began showing year-on-year growth ahead of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban.Engagement on Meta's platforms has now returned to the same level it was before Zuckerberg's announcement. Instagram, which has a user demographic closer to TikTok's, saw an even more impressive rebound in DAUs than Facebook. Instagram also has the advantage of Reels, a short-form video platform that has attracted many former TikTokers. // Related StoriesIt's not just new users that Meta might be thanking TikTok for. If TikTok does disappear from the United States completely the app is working but still not available to download from US app stores it's estimated that Meta could bring in up to $3.37 billion from newly available ad revenue.A recent survey of 1,346 Americans by CivicScience found that 36% of participants supported Meta's changes while 32% opposed them and 32% were neutral. GenZ users aged 18-24 were the biggest supporters, with just over half supporting the moves.It was reported earlier today that many people are selling phones with TikTok installed on eBay in the wildly optimistic hope of making thousands of dollars.

The big picture: Researchers from MIT and Caltech have developed an experimental nanoparticle vaccine designed to protect against a broad range of coronaviruses. This includes not only variants of the virus responsible for Covid-19 but also other coronaviruses currently circulating in animals that could potentially jump to humans in the future. In simple terms, scientists may have discovered a way to stay ahead of the next coronavirus outbreak before it even starts. Traditional vaccines typically focus on the most accessible parts of viruses, which are often the rapidly mutating receptor-binding domains. These RBDs enable the virus to latch onto and infect human cells. However, because these regions mutate frequently with each new replication of the virus, vaccines targeting them can quickly become ineffective unless updated promptly.Caltech researchers decided to take a different approach. Instead of targeting the highly variable RBDs, they focused on more conserved regions of the virus areas that remain relatively stable across different strains. They engineered a nanoparticle vaccine that displays 60 copies of RBDs from up to eight different coronaviruses. While these viruses share conserved regions, their variable regions differ, allowing the vaccine to prepare the immune system to respond to a broader range of potential threats.When injected, the nanoparticle exposes the immune system to all the distinct RBD shapes simultaneously. This prompts the body to produce antibodies targeting both the variable and conserved regions of the viruses.With this approach, the immune system gains a robust line of defense capable of neutralizing entire families of viruses, making it much harder for any single strain to evolve and bypass the vaccine's protection.In animal studies, a nanoparticle vaccine called "mosaic-7COM" outperformed earlier iterations, such as "mosaic-8," by generating strong antibody responses against seven different SARS-CoV-2 variants and four other related coronaviruses from the sarbecovirus family. The vaccine successfully prevented the virus from infecting the test animals. // Related StoriesRemarkably, mosaic-7COM also demonstrated near-equivalent effectiveness in animals that had previously received existing mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. This finding reflects a real-world scenario, where next-generation vaccines must enhance pre-existing immunity.Efforts are already underway to progress the mosaic-8 nanoparticle into clinical trials. Researchers also plan to test mosaic-7COM soon, given its superior performance in recent studies. Additionally, they are exploring ways to adapt the vaccines for mRNA delivery, a step that could simplify large-scale manufacturing.Image credit: Artem Podrez, Polina Tankilevitch

SamsungSamsung recently held its highly anticipated Unpacked 2025 event, pulling back the curtain on the Galaxy S25 smartphone lineup. The event wasnt all about phones, however, as we also learned about plans to turn SmartThings appliances into motion sensors. Driving the change is Home AI a feature thatll gather insights from your daily habits to build personalized experiences to create a smarter smart home.Planned to roll out through 2025 and into 2026, Home AI is bringing ambient sensing to a variety of SmartThings devices. Doing this will allow the platform to understand how it can better serve you, as itll monitor activities like cooking, exercising, and sleeping to gather important details about your lifestyle.Recommended VideosSamsung says SmartThings will eventually be able to provide real-time feedback, giving you reminders to stand up if youve been sitting for too long or recommendations on how to optimize your environment for your current activity. For example, it might give you guidance on your form during workouts or automatically dim the lights when you sit down for movie night.SamsungBy better understanding movements and sounds within your home, SmartThings will be able to detect whats going on and actively make changes to your surroundings. Its a bold vision for the smart home, and one that does away with the need to issue voice commands or fiddle with clunky menus on your smartphone.Please enable Javascript to view this contentCoinciding with Home AI is the new personalized Map View. This lets you create a detailed map of your home by taking pictures with your smartphone to better train SmartThings on what your space looks like. Once the platform has integrated these new details into its system, itll better be able to perform automatic adjustments based on your activities, such as adjusting your lights and smart thermostats.Of course, privacy is a huge concern when collecting data on this scale, and Samsung says all information will be stored locally on your network. That means you wont have to worry about sending your data off to the cloud. Expect to learn more details in the coming months, including which devices will gain these motion-sensing abilities.Editors Recommendations

According to a known tipster, the PlayStation 6 chipset is nearly ready for fabrication, with estimates giving it a release window as early as 2027 as long as current patterns continue. Take the news with a grain of salt, though; none of this is confirmed, and this is one of the earliest supposed leaks weve seen.User KeplerL2 shared the initial information in a NeoGaf forum post. The estimated release window of 2027 is based on previous Sony trends; each Sony console is released typically two years after entering the fabrication stage. The range also fits the typical seven-year lifespan for Sony consoles. The PS3 dropped in 2006, the PS4 in 2013, and the PS5 in 2020, according to Android Authority.Recommended VideosYou might recall the PS5s custom 7nm AMD Zen 2 CPU from the consoles early marketing. Several users worried the PS6 could launch on a slightly-upgraded version of that hardware that wouldnt be much of an upgrade, but KeplerL2 suggests the Zen6 design is complete, with some of it running on N2 architecture and an early fork of gfx13, better known as AMDs RDNA5.Digital TrendsIn laymans terms, this suggests a major power upgrade from the PS5 to the PS6. Another user suggested the PlayStation 6 could come with as much as 32GB of RAM, although the console could opt for slightly-older DDR6 RAM to cut expenses. There have also been hints the console might use multiple GPUs in varying configurations, too.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThere has been a lot of discussion surrounding the price of the PlayStation 6. Most players expect it to fall within the $600 to $800 range, which lines up with the $600 estimate analysts have previously provided.Again, all of this is rumor and hearsay. With even the most generous estimates placing the console launch at least two years away, absolutely everything about the console could change between now and launch. That said, the rumored potential specs provide an idea of what the next-gen console might be capable of and so far, it looks like it will be a marked improvement from even the PlayStation 5 Pro.Editors Recommendations

The social-media giant plans to spend between $60 billion and $65 billion, the latest sign of tech companies accelerating investments into AI.

In a quiet corner of Scotland, with the urging of none other than Nigella Lawson, a low-key social media star has mastered the art of cozy meals with a side of classic cinema.

The need for speed Researchers optimize simulations of molecules on quantum computers A new approach to simulating the electrons of small molecules like catalysts. John Timmer Jan 24, 2025 10:51 am | 5 Credit: Douglas Sacha Credit: Douglas Sacha Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOne of the most frequently asked questions about quantum computers is a simple one: When will they be useful?If you talk to people in the field, you'll generally get a response in the form of another question: useful for what? Quantum computing can be applied to a large range of problems, some of them considerably more complex than others. Utility will come for some of the simpler problems first, but further hardware progress is needed before we can begin tackling some of the more complex ones.One that should be easiest to solve involves modeling the behavior of some simple catalysts. The electrons of these catalysts, which are critical for their chemical activity, obey the rules of quantum mechanics, which makes it relatively easy to explore them with a quantum computer.But it's not easy to understand how those simulations will actually work or what limits dictate the hardware we'll need before we can run themgenerally estimated to be around 100 error-corrected qubits. On Wednesday, Nature Physics published a paper that describes the simulation of some aspects of simple catalysts on quantum computers and provides a way to dramatically simplify the calculations. The resulting algorithmic improvements mean that we may not need to wait for error correction to run useful simulations.Spin cityThe behavior of a catalyst depends on its electrons, and their behavior depends on a combination of the orbital they occupy and their spin (which can be up or down). If electrons share an orbital with a partner, they will have opposite spins and essentially cancel each other out. But a lot of chemistry involves unpaired electrons, which have what you might think of as exposed spin. The spins affect the energy levels they can occupy and can interact with unpaired spins elsewhere in the molecule.But spin is a quantum property, with all the complications that ensue from that. And the more unpaired spins a molecule has, the more complicated the interactions among them. The net result is that predicting the spins of a molecule like a catalyst quickly becomes computationally intractable.But since a molecule's spins are a quantum system, it's possible to simulate their behavior on other quantum systems. In fact, a number of approaches to quantum computers, including those involving trapped ions or neutral atoms, store qubits in spins. But fully simulating how the electrons of a molecule interact over time involves a lot of qubits and a long series of the one- and two-qubit gate operations that are central to quantum computations.The new work, performed primarily by researchers at Berkeley and Harvard, describes a method to make a simulation work far more efficiently.Quantum magicThe process begins by using regular computers to simplify a problem to be solved using quantum hardware. This essentially gets rid of some aspects of the problem that aren't particularly relevant to most catalysts, like their behavior under extreme conditions. Instead, it simplifies the description of the system (termed a Hamiltonian) down to focus on the behavior of any unpaired spins when the system is at low energies.The Hamiltonian that describes the spins is then mapped onto a quantum processor, with a cluster of linked qubits devoted to the behavior of each individual spinning electron. This system is generic enough to be mapped onto any quantum hardware, and it can be made to evolve over time, just as the real-world system does.But the researchers found they could get better performance on the quantum side of things by using a quantum computer based on neutral atoms. A typical quantum computing algorithm assumes that all computational operations, termed gates, are done using either an individual qubit or pairs of qubits (these are termed one- or two-qubit gates). But since neutral atoms can be moved around, it's possible to group even more of them so that a small cluster of atoms performs a gate. These multi-qubit gates turn out to allow the specific computations needed here to be performed far more efficiently than they ever could if limited to two-qubit gates.The net result is a much faster operation involving far fewer gates. That's important because errors in quantum hardware increase as a function of both time and the number of operations.The researchers then used this approach to explore a chemical, Mn4O5Ca, that plays a key role in photosynthesis. Using this approach, they showed it's possible to calculate what's called the "spin ladder," or the list of the lowest-energy states the electrons can occupy. The energy differences between these states correspond to the wavelengths of light they can absorb or emit, so this also defines the spectrum of the molecule.Faster, but not quite fast enoughWe're not quite ready to run this system on today's quantum computers, as the error rates are still a bit too high. But because the operations needed to run this sort of algorithm can be done so efficiently, the error rates don't have to come down very much before the system will become viable. The primary determinant of whether it will run into an error is how far down the time dimension you run the simulation, plus the number of measurements of the system you take over that time."The algorithm is especially promising for near-term devices having favorable resource requirements quantified by the number of snapshots (sample complexity) and maximum evolution time (coherence) required for accurate spectral computation," the researchers wrote.But the work also makes a couple of larger points. The first is that quantum computers are fundamentally unlike other forms of computation we've developed. They're capable of running things that look like traditional algorithms, where operations are performed and a result is determined. But they're also quantum systems that are growing in complexity with each new generation of hardware, which makes them great at simulating other quantum systems. And there are a number of hard problems involving quantum systems we'd like to solve.In some ways, we may only be starting to scratch the surface of quantum computers' potential. Up until quite recently, there were a lot of hypotheticals; it now appears we're on the cusp of using one for some potentially useful computations. And that means more people will start thinking about clever ways we can solve problems with themincluding cases like this, where the hardware would be used in ways its designers might not have even considered.Nature Physics, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02738-z (About DOIs).John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 5 Comments

Anup Purohit, Executive Council Member and Global CIO, Wipro Limited January 24, 20254 Min ReadAndriy Popov via Alamy StockArtificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept -- its here, promising to revolutionize industries by unlocking unparalleled efficiency and innovation. Yet, despite this immense potential, AI adoption remains elusive for many organizations. Businesses are grappling with challenges like skill shortages, unpredictable cloud pricing, and high computing demands. These barriers have left AI out of reach for many companies, especially those with limited resources. But the good news is that new technologies are changing this landscape, making AI more accessible and affordable than ever before. From edge computing to no-code platforms and AutoML, businesses are increasingly finding ways to democratize AI, allowing them to leverage its power without breaking the bank. Emerging technologies are paving the way for AI adoption, offering businesses new opportunities to leverage these advancements for greater efficiency and innovation.Overcoming the Barriers to AI AdoptionThe barriers to AI adoption are well-documented. For many organizations, the cost of high-performance computing hardware, such as GPUs, and the unpredictability of cloud pricing have made AI investment seem risky. Additionally, a growing skill gap is preventing companies from finding the talent to manage and implement these technologies effectively.Related:Whats more, as AI systems become more complex, the need for highly specialized knowledge and tools to manage them grows. Organizations need solutions that simplify AI development and make it more cost-effective to deploy -- without the need for extensive technical expertise.Technologies Making AI More AccessibleSeveral key technologies are stepping up to tackle these barriers, providing businesses with the tools to integrate AI effectively.1. Edge computingEdge computing brings AI capabilities closer to data sources, allowing businesses to process and analyze data in real time. This proximity reduces latency and improves decision-making speed -- crucial for industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and retail that rely on real-time insights. By decentralizing data processing, edge computing lowers the demand for centralized cloud resources and reduces overall costs.2. No-code/Low-code platformsNo-code and low-code platforms are a game-changer for businesses that lack deep technical expertise. These platforms empower non-technical users to create and deploy AI models without writing complex code, making AI development more accessible and enabling a wider range of businesses to participate in AI-driven innovation, even with limited resources.Related:3. AutoMLAutomated machine learning (AutoML) simplifies the process of building AI models. AutoML tools automatically handle model selection, training, and optimization, allowing users to create high-performing AI systems without requiring data science expertise. By streamlining these tasks, the technology significantly lowers the barrier for businesses looking to integrate AI into their operations, making deployment easier and faster.4. AI on CPUsAIs computational demands, especially for tasks like training large language models, have traditionally required expensive GPU hardware. However, recent innovations are making it possible to run some AI models on more affordable CPUs. Techniques like quantization and frameworks like MLX are enabling smaller AI models to run efficiently on CPUs, broadening AIs accessibility and reducing the need for costly hardware investments.Collaboration: The Key to AI DemocratizationOrganizations cannot travel alone on the journey to making AI accessible. Collaboration between businesses will be essential to overcoming the barriers to AI adoption. By pooling resources, sharing expertise, and developing tailored solutions, companies can reduce costs and streamline the integration of AI into their operations.Related:Moreover, collaboration is critical for ensuringAI is implemented ethically and safely. As AIs role in society grows, organizations must work together to establish guidelines and best practices that foster trust and prevent misuse. Transparency in AI development and deployment will be key to its long-term success.Upskilling the Workforce to Build Trust in AIAnother challenge that organizations face is the need to upskill their workforce. As AI systems become more prevalent, employees must have the skills to manage, work alongside, and trust these technologies. Upskilling workers will alleviate concerns about data privacy, security, and job displacement, allowing for smoother AI adoption.Investing in training programs will not only help employees adapt to AI systems but also ensure that organizations maximize the benefits of these technologies. A skilled workforce can collaborate effectively with AI, leading to improved productivity and innovation. The broader IT skills shortage is expected to impact nine out of 10 organizations by 2026, leading to $5.5 trillion in delays, quality issues, and revenue loss, according to IDC.Unlocking AIs Potential Across IndustriesThe future of AI is bright, but its potential can only be fully realized when it becomes accessible to all. By leveraging technologies like edge computing, no-code platforms, and AutoML, businesses can overcome the barriers to AI adoption and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.Business leaders who invest in these technologies and prioritize upskilling their workforce will be well-positioned to thrive in an AI-powered future. With collaboration and a commitment to ethical implementation, AI can become a transformative force across industries, reshaping how we work, communicate, and innovate.Its time to embrace AIs possibilities and take the next step toward a more accessible, inclusive future.About the AuthorAnup PurohitExecutive Council Member and Global CIO, Wipro Limited Anup Purohit, Executive Council Member and Global CIO at Wipro Limited, leads the companys digital transformation with over 25 years in finance and tech, focusing on AI-driven security and business intelligence.See more from Anup PurohitNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports