Mysterious Mod MusicFreshly-released Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign is all about finding "the dark secret of the Grand Theater", and your musical soul might be nicked in the process"This is a world where the Red Wizards hold the strings, and youll have to decide whether the cost of fame is worth the price."Image credit: Larian/Moezillaaa/VG247 News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 11, 2025 Do you long to take your Baldur's Gate 3 gang somewhere a bit more cultured than the Lower City Sewers? Well, a new custom campaign mod looks like it'll let you do just that, as well as offering a chance to delve into a musical mystery woven by the Red Wizards of Thay.Yep, this is another one of these big projects you can play in an initial form right now, like modder SquallyDaBeanz's Forsaken campaign - which arrived the other week as a teaser level that should eventually evolve into the full thing. There are also mods like Path To Menzobarranzan still in the works, because the BG3 custom campaign ball is properly rolling, like a goblin Karlach's chucked down a hill.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Speaking of Karlach, it looks like you'll be able to take he with you into the fresh location added to the game by this latest custom campaign mod to drop - Moezillaaa's 'The Grand Theater - Sell your Lute to the Devil'It's set in The Grand Theater, a custom-built "imposing, yet strangely inviting structure" on the outskirts of Baldur's Gate, where bards perform amid a very cool pink hue and under the watchful eye of a mysterious group from Forgotten Realms lore."The flickering lights of lanterns and the alluring sound of music draw in travelers from far and wide, promising an experience of unparalleled entertainment," Moezillaaa writes, "However, what lies beneath the polished veneer of extravagant performances and mesmerizing illusions is a darker, more sinister story."The theater is owned and operated by a powerful faction known as the Red Wizards of Thay - arcane masters and manipulative schemers whose true intentions are often cloaked in secrecy. As they push their hidden agendas, they have crafted a show unlike any other: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for performers to showcase their talents... but at a cost."Watch on YouTubeThe mod's been released as a "version 1.0" designed to serve as an intro, so it's got a long way to go before it's finished. However, so far you can dive into and explore a bunch of the pretty expansive and deatailed-looking Grand Theater, as well as kick off six custom quests and chat to plenty NPCs that boast 2000 plus freshly-written dialogue lines between them. Oh, and there's a "very rare reward item" to hunt for.Moezillaaa's laid out a roadmap of how they plan to expand this with future updates going forwards, with version 1.1 set to bring the likes of proper combat, more cutscenes, and what sounds like a fully explorable exterior for the theatre.Will you be checking out The Grand Theater? Let us know below, and make sure to stay tuned for plenty more news about BG3 mods.

Coming Out Swinging"Theres a moment in this that is just absolutely batsh*t" Daredevil: Born Again's showrunner really wants you to know how much more violent his show is than the Netflix series"The level of violence is way up there for a Marvel/ Disney show."Image credit: Marvel News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 11, 2025 If there's one thing that Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane really wants you to know, it's that his take on the character will be super violent.You know, these days it feels like the only thing that ever comes up when it comes to the Netflix Daredevil series these days is how Dark and Gritty and Violent and Realistic it was. We got the occasional hit tweet here and there that actually shows off some of the good stuff, but there's been an unfortunate fixation on Daredevil being a serious comic book show, and it seems like Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane is trying to live up to said fixation. Speaking to Empire, Scardapane shared that his take on the character will go even harder than the Netflix one, saying, "The level of violence is way up there for a Marvel/ Disney show.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I dont think theres anything else even in the ballpark. Theres a moment in this that is just absolutely batshit, and way past anything Netflix ever did." Not exactly sure why we have to make this the violence olympics, I'm all for a bit of fictitious violence, but a good show that doesn't make. Kingpin actor Vincent DOnofrio also took part in the interview, himself doubling down on how violent the show is. "Theres a world in which you might think that if that show kept running, wed be in this place eventually, or something like it," the actor said. "But weve gone further in the darkness, the action, the nastiness."Scardapane also isn't looking to repeat what he considers to be the mistakes of the Netflix series, saying, "If you look at how it ends almost every season, they punch the s**t out of each other, Kingpin goes to jail, we know hes gonna come back. I didnt want to do that. This dynamic is way more tense. Theres one scene between them in the first episode that lays it all out. Then we spend the next eight episodes throwing rocks at it." I'm not exactly sure how ever so slightly dunking on the thing that people liked so much they willed it into MCU canon is going to do your show any favours, but what do I know?After a long wait and lengthy delays, you'll finally be able to watch Daredevil: Born Again when it premieres on Disney Plus this coming March 5.

Venture capitalists are gobbling up term sheets for startups peddling artificial intelligence, even as they remain picky when it comes to funding the wider spectrum of technology.According to new figures from analytics firm Dealroom, AI startups raised $110 billion in funding last year, up 62% on the year before. At the same time, privately-backed companies (startups and scale-ups) across the whole of the technology spectrum raised $227 billion in 2024, down 12% from 2023 figures.Yoram Wijngaarde, the founder of Dealroom, has been analyzing and advising in the tech industry for decades. Although marketplaces had a barnstorming moment in the late 1990s and early 2000s in terms of investor attention, nothing has come even close to the impact AI has had on investing in terms of activity and value. This is the biggest wave ever by absolute amounts invested, he said. Theres never been anything like it.Part of the reason for that, it seems, is the fact that there is a wider ecosystem thats being touched by it, covering hardware and infrastructure, applications, foundational models and more.A list of some of the biggest AI company raises in 2024 speaks to the different areas that are attracting attention right now. Anthropic (Large Language Models, Generative AI), Waymo (self-driving), Anduril (defense), xAI (applications), Databricks (processing and managing data, especially AI data) and Vantage (data centers and infrastructure, growth fuelled by the need to train and query data) are among the top-ten biggest fundraisers of 2024.Although OpenAI feels like the poster child for AI right now, it did not raise the most money last year. OpenAI picked up $6.6 billion, versus $10 billion for Databricks.Yet with the most funding in aggregate more than $20 billion to date, with another $40 billion reportedly in the works and a massively viral app in the form of ChatGPT, OpenAI has come to represent a kind of bellwether in the industry.And so unsurprisingly, its two biggest business interests, foundational AI and Generative AI, appear to be the engines underneath all of VC activity, with GenAI companies raising $47.4 billion in 2024, and foundational AI technology overtaking AI applications with the most growth (and a giant slice of funding) over the last two years.The Dealroom report was commissioned to coincide with a week of AI events in Paris around the French governments AI Action Summit. Part of the events agenda is focused on the question of how to champion more equitable AI development across more markets, beyond the U.S.For those who believe AI companies are under-supported outside of that market, Dealrooms figures lay bare how that works. A full 42% ($80.7 billion) of the VC raised in the U.S. went to AI startups, compared to just 25% ($12.8 billion) in Europe and even less, 18%, across the rest of the world. China was the standout last year at $7.6 billion invested.In Europe we have a bit of an innovators dilemma, said Wijngaarde. We dont want to replace what we have and that can a be less aggressive position.How will 2024 AI funding play out in 2025?One of the reasons why AI startups have raised so much money has been because of the costs of building and operating these services: large language models cost a lot in computing infrastructure to build and run. The emergence of DeepSeek and other projects like this one that built a rival to an OpenAI model for just $50 present an alternative approach built on open source. Is that something that we will see develop further in the year ahead? So far, the prospects for open source companies have been fairly modest, even with the outsized presence of Mistral (which bills itself as open source) in Europe, and Metas efforts in the space.Dealroom says that some 12% of AI VC funding last year went to startups building open source AI. However, there is considerable grey area for what is considered open source or not, Orla Browne, its head of insights, told me. For example xAI is not included in these figures, as while Grok-1 was open source, Grok-2 is currently not. With the inclusion of xAI alone the percentage would rise to 22%.Beyond outsized funding value, for AI startups looking to match up with VCs that are most interested in the field, Dealroom found that Antler made the most investments in the field last year, followed by a16z, General Catalyst, Sequoia and Khosla Ventures rounding out the top five.

Africas top digital banking platforms typically come from high-growth, populous markets like Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. But Affinity Africa, an upstart from Ghana, wants to join the conversation. The startup has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its financial products further across the country, where mobile money is the dominant financial tool.While mobile money has become the go-to for financial transactions, the traditional banking sector in Ghana and Africa as a whole remains highly profitable. Since the pandemic, banks in Ghana have recorded growth with an after-tax return on equity (RoE) that exceeds the global average.However, these profits rely heavily on fees, while inefficiencies like high operational costs, extensive in-person paperwork, and long onboarding times have left millions underserved. Today, less than 10% of businesses in Africa have access to credit, and over 60% of adults lack formal financial services, per World Bank data. This growing gap has fueled demand for digital banking alternatives like Affinity, which offer a cheaper, more inclusive model.Affinity has onboarded over 50,000 customers since its launch last October, its founder and CEO Tarek Mougaine says. Notably, 65% of its users had never accessed formal banking products before, and over 60% are women working in the informal sector.So why has it taken this long for a digital banking upstart to gain such traction in Ghana? The countrys strict banking regulations play a big role. Unlike neighbouring Nigeria, where digital banks can easily operate with microfinance licenses, such licenses are rare, expensive and take time to get in Ghana, making it difficult for fintechs to enter the space.Ghanas regulator is focused on protecting consumers, especially in deposit-taking institutions, Mougaine told TechCrunch. We had to prove strong risk management, break even as a microfinance institution, and align our mission with the governments goal of banking the unbanked. What ultimately convinced them was how our digital platform reduces friction and lowers banking costs for individuals and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs.)From investment banking to fintech disruptorMougaine, who comes from a fourth-generation Ghanaian family of Lebanese descent, studied in the U.K., earning a bachelors and masters degree before launching his career in academia and finance. He later worked as a Director at Man Group, a $160 billion global investment fund. There, he worked on major IPOs, including Visa and Compartamos, Latin Americas largest microfinance institution.After returning to Ghana ten years ago, Mougaine looked to solve Africas financial inclusion problem, a challenge often highlighted in global consulting reports.Numbers like Africas $331 billion credit gap are still being quoted today, he said. Nothing has really changed. That made me obsessed with building a full-fledged retail bank for MSMEs, similar to what Santander, Lloyds, or Chase Bank offer in Europe and the U.S.but tailored for Africas majority.He and a group of friends and family raised $2 million to acquire a microfinance bank in 2020. They included funds from selling his London house, he claims. The entity, which received a savings and loans license, first of its kind granted in over 10 years, served as a testing ground for its current banking solutions.Affinity Africa appImage Credits:Affinity AfricaBy 2022, Affinity raised an additional $3 million in a pre-seed round to upgrade this license. Following months of stealth testing, the fintech officially launched its app last October after receiving approval from Bank of Ghana, the countrys apex bank.The Ghanaian fintech serves both individuals and micro-enterprises, which are often indistinguishable in Africa. Customers get free savings and current accounts with no transaction limits, and the platform immediately begins credit-scoring users based on their transaction history.After a few months of usage, Affinity extends lines of credit with monthly interest rates of 3-7%. The Accra-based fintech has disbursed over $15 million in loans across various products, with instant loans growing 30% month-over-month and a non-performing loan (NPL) rate of 3%.A hybrid approach: digital banking with a physical touchCustomers can also access other banking services, including savings, payments, investments, and transfers to banks and mobile money wallets. Last month, 89% of deposit inflows, which have grown 54% month-over-month since its launch, came from mobile money top-ups, with the remaining 11% from bank transfers. Loans account for over 90% of Affinitys revenue, with the remaining 10% coming from fees and commissions on services like utility bill and internet payments via USSD and the mobile app. Its revenue has increased 37% month-over-month over the last six months, according to Mougaine.Like many digital banks in Africa, Affinity blends online banking with offline touchpoints through its agent network. These agents, about 30 of them, meet small businesses in person, onboard them to the app, and help bridge the trust gap for first-time digital banking users.Africas newest fintech unicorns are winning by keeping their feet on the groundOut of its 50,000 customers, 26,000 joined through the agency network, and 24,000 signed up using the mobile app. Notably, 55% of agent-acquired customers have transitioned to the app, showing strong digital adoption after onboarding.This shift has led us to rethink our agency strategyfocusing on using agents for onboarding, initial education, and driving digital literacy to encourage app adoption. Were excited to refine this hybrid growth approach as we scale, Mougaine said.Affinitys $8 million seed round was led by European VC firms Grazia Equity (Germany) and BACKED VC (London), marking their first African investment. Other investors include Enza Capital, Launch Africa, Renew Capital, Finca International, Attijariwafa Ventures, Impact Assets, joining Eldon Capital an early backer.At Backed, we are founder-first, and we couldnt think of a better person to build Africas local bank than Tarek, said Andre de Haes, founder and managing partner at Backed. He started his career investing in banks through the 2008 financial crisis, became an expert in regulation and strategy, and has built a world-class banking software stack for Affinity from the ground up. His ability to connect with and understand customers has driven impressive early user numbers.

CW+ Premium Content/Computer WeeklyThank you for joining!Access your Pro+ Content below.11 February 2025A two-horse race? Competition concerns cloud AWS and MicrosoftIn this weeks Computer Weekly, Microsoft and AWS dont like it, but the UK competition watchdog says their hold on the cloud market is cause for concern. We talk to AutoTraders CEO about how to become a digital business. And we go behind the scenes at Zoom to see how AI will revolutionise the former lockdown success story. Read the issue now.Access this CW+ Content for Free!Already a member? Login hereFeaturesin this issueDigging into the CMAs provisional take on AWS and Microsofts hold on UK cloud marketbyCaroline DonnellyAmazon Web Services and Microsoft have not taken kindly to the Competition and Markets Authoritys suggestion that their dominant hold on the UK cloud market requires a targeted interventionInterview: Digital tech fuels AutoTraders drive into the futurebyKarl FlindersLed by a technology enthusiast, AutoTrader is on a digital journey that began when it decided to take a different route in 2007View Computer Weekly ArchivesNext IssueMore CW+ ContentView AllE-HandbookComputer Weekly 25 March 2014

The Prime Ministers call for the complete rewiring of the British state has put the onus on the civil service to match the demands placed upon it by rapid technological advances most notably the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI).The question is not if or when AI will change how policy is made, but how policy makers can use it to improve outcomes for citizens. The impact will be extensive but not total. There are some parts of the policy making process where, for now, the role of the policy maker is relatively unaffected like officials using their judgement to navigate the competing interests and idiosyncrasies of Whitehall to get things done.But in other areas, the effect will be more apparent and immediate. Tools like Redbox can dramatically reduce the time it takes for a minister to learn about a new topic as well as commissioning an official, they can ask a large language model (LLM). This challenges the traditional ways officials manage the flow of information into ministers.LLMs will also change the intellectual process by which policy is constructed. In particular, they are increasingly useful - and so increasingly being used - to synthesise existing evidence and suggest a policy intervention to achieve a goal.Policy work across Whitehall is already being usefully augmented by LLMs, the most common form of generative AI. The tools available include:Redbox, which can summarise the policy recommendations in submissions and other policy documents and has more than 1,000 users across the Cabinet Office and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.Consult, which the government says summarises and groups responses to public consultations a thousand times faster than human analysts. Similar tools are used by governments abroad, for example in Singapore.A live demonstration of Redbox at the 2024 civil service Policy Festival showed it analysing a document outlining problems with the operation of the National Grid and summarising ideas from an Ofgem report on how to improve it.While LLMs are advancing quickly and some of their current shortcomings might only be temporary, there remain limits to what they can do.They can synthesise a wide range of sophisticated information, but their subsequent output can be wrong, occasionally wildly so - known as hallucination. LLM outputs might also contain biases for which officials need to correct, including unfair assumptions about certain demographic groups.Because LLMs are trained on available written information, their outputs can lack the nuance and context human experience can provide. Designing new policy to increase, say, the efficiency with which hospitals are run requires possessing advanced knowledge about healthcare policy, of the sort LLMs are increasingly capable of summarising.But it also requires insider insight into the way hospitals actually work vital context like what parts of the system are currently being gamed and how, and an understanding of how doctors, nurses and administrative staff will respond to any changes.LLMs also tend to provide standard answers, struggling to capture information at the cutting edge of a field and provide novel ideas. Unless stretched by the user, they are unlikely to suggest more radical answers and this has consequences, particularly in fast-moving areas of policy. Ironically, AI policy is one such area.Finally, over-credulously incorporating LLM outputs into the policy making process can be dangerous. Evidence, whether scientific, social or other, rarely points in one direction and an LLM summarising evidence might implicitly elevate some political principles over others. If done badly, a policy maker incorporating that output into advice to a minister risks building assumptions into their recommendations which run contrary to that ministers political views.These are all good reasons for caution. But the potential benefits of using LLMs are large. In an AI-augmented policy making process, the policy makers key role will be to introduce the knowledge that an LLM cannot.Policy makers added value will likely manifest in two main ways. The first is in using their expertise to edit and shape LLM first drafts including checking for and correcting hallucinations and untoward biases. This is not that dissimilar to what the best policy makers currently do humans, too, get things wrong or expose biases through their work.The second is by layering policy makers ideas on top of LLM outputs, sometimes being prepared to push them in a more radical direction. This could involve an interactive process, in which an LLM is asked to provide feedback on ideas produced by a policy maker. The time freed up by using LLMs to perform traditionally time-intensive tasks could give policy makers the opportunity to gather and deploy new types of information which can help craft better policy.Particularly important will be the kind of hyper-specific or real-time insider insights which LLMs struggle to capture, which could be acquired in new and creative ways spending time immersed on the frontline, building a professional network which can give real-time reactions to new developments, or something different entirely.However, integrating LLMs into government might make it harder for policy makers to acquire important skills. If domain expertise and insider insights are the things for which policy makers are increasingly valued, they must possess the commensurate skills.But this presents something of a paradox - LLM adoption might not only make domain expertise even more important to possess, but also harder to acquire. It is precisely the activities that LLMs are so efficient at performing gathering and synthesising existing evidence, and using it as the basis for policy solutions that policy makers have tended to use to acquire their first building blocks of expertise.This also has consequences for policy makers ability to gather insider insights. It is all very well freeing up time for policy makers to collect information in new ways, but if they do not have a baseline level of expertise they will find it hard to know where to look for it and how to interpret it.This leaves the civil service with two options. The first is to preserve some basic tasks for more junior officials so they can build the domain expertise needed to intelligently use LLMs.The second is to reinvent the way policy makers acquire expertise, reducing reliance on the now AI-augmented traditional methods. For example, the type of official who is currently a junior policy maker could instead be deployed to the frontline, giving them personal experience of the operation of the state which they can use in a more conventional policy role in Whitehall once they get more senior.Perhaps the best approach would be for the civil service to start by ringfencing tasks, but actively commission test and learn projects to explore more imaginative approaches, and scale those where they work. This could take place alongside implementing more traditional solutions. For example, the civil service has a problem with excess turnover and officials who move between policy areas less frequently would find it easier to develop expertise.Policy making is among the most important and hardest jobs the civil service does, and improving how it is done is a substantial prize. A policy making process which blends human expertise with LLMs will not just be more efficient, but more insightful and connected to citizens concerns.Channelling the adoption of LLMs in the most productive way possible, maximising the benefits while mitigating the risks, is crucial for the civil service to get right. Just letting change happen should not be an option it must be proactively shaped.Jordan Urban is a senior researcher at the Institute for Government.Read more about AI in governmentThe UK government's AI plan covers all the bases but needs a dose of pragmatism - With the launch of its AI Opportunities Action Plan, few people can complain that the UK government is not taking the potential of artificial intelligence seriously.Can UK government achieve ambition to become AI powerhouse? The artificial intelligence opportunities action plan has been largely well received, but there are plenty of questions about how it will be achieved.Major obstacles facing Labours AI opportunity action plan - Skills, data held in legacy tech and a lack of leadership are among the areas discussed during a recent Public Accounts Committee session.

The Moto G (2025) packs multi-day battery life and a surprisingly good camera for a budget phone.

Google wants you to let AI change your password.Photothek via Getty ImagesHot on the heels of some of the most sophisticated Gmail attacks aimed at parting users from their passwords, and news that a massive 2.8 million device botnet is powering brute force password hacking attacks, comes the news that you may, or may not, want to hear: Google wants you to let AI change your Chrome passwords automatically. Heres what you need to know.Chrome UpdateGoogle Brings Automatic Password Changes To The AI PartyPassword compromise is everywhere; theres no other way of saying it. Cybercriminals want your password because they want access to your accounts to enable them to use your sensitive data and, ultimately, profit from the treasures that they find. Whether by way of phishing attacks or malware, hardware hacking or simply gaining physical access to your device, your password is being targeted. Which is why most security experts recommend the use of password managers as a way to create stronger credentials and use them in the most secure way. Google is no exception, with the Chrome browser password manager available to 3.5 billion users.One of the ways that password managers can help to keep your credentials safe is to spot when they have been compromised and let you change them as quickly as possible. First spotted by the eagle-eyed Leopeva64 on X, Google is introducing a rather shocking new function for users of Chrome: the ability to let AI change your passwords for you automatically. Now, Ive called this shocking for a reason, and not everyone will agree. Some people love the idea of letting AI take the reigns with mundane tasks, while others shrink away in revulsion at the very notion of allowing AI into their online lives. I suspect both will be shocked by this move, some in a good way, others less so.MORE FOR YOUHow To Try The Chrome Automated Password Change Feature NowLeopeva64 said: Another AI-powered feature is coming to Chrome, Automated password change. The description mentions that when Chrome finds one of your passwords in a data breach, it can offer to change your password for you when you sign in.It appears that this involves not only helping you along with the process of changing a compromised password but generating the password for you as well. What it doesnt mean, and this is key, is that Chrome will just let the AI loose in the background to change your credentials. The feature is currently in the experimental stage, so users of the Chrome Canary version can try it out by changing the #improved-password-change-service that can be found in chrome://flags/ to enabled. Personally, I think this is a good thing as it makes the whole process more manageable, and lets be frank, AI is likely to do a much better job of creating a decently strong password than you. Of course, you dont have to enable it when it finally reaches the production version of Chrome. I have reached out to Google for a statement.

Closing the gender gap in STEM requires more than funding - it demands systemic change, early ... [+] engagement and targeted support to ensure women thrive in education, careers and entrepreneurship.Getty ImagesAs we celebrate International Women in STEM Day today, its time to face up to a stark reality - even in 2025, women are still drastically underrepresented across STEM professions. Despite years of effort, the numbers remain dismal. Women make up only 30% of the STEM workforce in the UK, with even fewer in high-growth sectors like computer science (23%) and engineering (21%). These figures underscore the systemic issues - such as unconscious bias, limited access to networks, lack of role models and societal pressures - that continue to hinder womens participation and advancement in STEM careers.The challenges dont stop at representation. Women in STEM are often subjected to higher levels of harassment and underrepresentation in leadership roles, which further compounds the challenges they face. Economic barriers, restricted access to education, and regressive gender norms create additional hurdles. Despite the attention the issue has received in recent years, the figures speak for themselves. To close the gender gap, we need more than just encouragement and funding - this isnt an issue we can simply throw money at to solve. We need bold, systemic change that supports women throughout their education, careers and entrepreneurial journeys.This issue goes beyond fairness and justice. Underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurial circles is costing the UK dearly in lost economic potential. The Alison Rose Review shows that if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, the UK economy could grow by 250 billion - an opportunity we cannot afford to ignore.Early engagement and systemic changeThe gender gap in STEM isnt confined to the workplace. Women are underrepresented at every stage - from education to entrepreneurship. The journey to closing this gap begins in education, where many girls develop the perception that STEM subjects aren't for them. Research shows that 36% of girls say science is not for them, with 57% citing a lack of enjoyment and 38% feeling they arent good at the subjects, while only 20% of boys feel the same. Initiatives like the UKs STEM Ambassador programme and Million Women Mentors are crucial in challenging these perceptions early, encouraging girls to engage with STEM subjects and providing role models to boost their confidence.But early engagement is just the beginning. Once women enter the workforce, they continue to face barriers, such as unconscious bias, limited access to networks, and the lack of role models, which limit their ability to advance in STEM careers and entrepreneurship. This is evident in the stark underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, as well as the persisting funding disparities which highlight that female-founded businesses receive only 2% of global venture capital funding. In the UK, women-owned businesses represent just 18% of SMEs, and limited access to capital and networks restricts their growth potential.MORE FOR YOUSupporting female foundersAddressing these funding and support gaps requires more than just raising awareness - it demands tangible action. Initiatives like Bruntwood SciTechs Female Founders Incubator are already making a difference. Across Leeds and Manchester, founders have secured over 200,000 in investment, won 15 industry awards and created new jobs. With the incubators support, several female-led startups have also secured over 1 million to scale their businesses. By providing mentorship, networking and over 20,000 in growth support, these programmes are proving the power of targeted interventions to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs.However, the broader challenge remains. The real test is ensuring long-term, scalable support for women in STEM and entrepreneurship. The UK Governments 2.6 billion commitment through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund offers an opportunity to continue fostering these initiatives, alongside further rounds of the Innovative UK Women in Innovation programme, which has been instrumental in supporting female entrepreneurs through funding and mentorship. But lasting change requires collaboration across the public and private sectors. The corporate world has a crucial role to play - establishing mentorship programmes, improving access to funding, and ensuring workplace policies promote gender equity.A call for collective actionAs we celebrate International Women in STEM Day, it's clear that closing the gender gap requires collective action. We need a comprehensive strategy that connects with women and girls from an early age, keeps them engaged with STEM subjects, and supports them through fulfilling careers and entrepreneurial opportunities.The stakes couldnt be higher - not just for the women directly affected, but for the broader economy and society. We need to foster an ecosystem that actively supports women in STEM and entrepreneurship, recognising their contributions as vital to driving economic growth and innovation.Lets not leave this potential untapped. By committing to systemic change and targeted support, we can unlock the immense value that gender diversity brings to the STEM fields and beyond.

A Google logo outside the Google booth at Integrated Systems Europe 2025 in Barcelona on Feb. 4, 2025.Cesc MaymoGetty ImagesBy Miranda JeyaretnamFebruary 11, 2025 4:00 AM ESTGoogle was among the tech companies that donated $1 million to Donald Trumps 2025 inauguration. Its also among the companies that has pulled back on its internal diversity hiring policies in response to the Trump Administrations anti-DEI crackdown. And in early February, Google dropped its pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance, a move seen as paving the way for closer cooperation with Trumps government.Now, users of Googles consumer products are noticing that a number of updates have been madeseemingly in response to the new administrationto everyday tools like Maps, Calendar, and Search.Heres what to know.Google Maps renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of AmericaAmong Trumps first executive orders was a directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America and Alaskas Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, to its former name Mt. McKinley. Google announced on Jan. 27 that it would quickly update its maps accordingly, as soon as the federal Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated. On Monday, Feb. 10, following changes around the same time by the Storm Prediction Center and Federal Aviation Administration, Google announced that, in line with its longstanding convention on naming disputed regions, U.S. based users would now see Gulf of America, Mexican users will continue to see Gulf of Mexico, while users elsewhere will see Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).As of Tuesday, Feb. 11, alternatives Apple Maps and OpenStreetMap still show Gulf of Mexico.Google Calendar removes Pride, Black History Month, and other cultural holidaysLast week, some users noticed that Google removed certain default markers from its calendar, including Pride (June), Black History Month (February), Indigenous Peoples Month (November), and Hispanic Heritage Month (mid-September to mid-October). Dear Google. Stop sucking up to Trump, reads one comment on a Google Support forum about the noticed changes.A Google spokesperson confirmed the removal of some holidays and observances to The Verge but said that such changes began in 2024 because maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasnt scalable or sustainable, explaining that Google Calendar now defers to public holidays and national observances globally listed on timeanddate.com. But not everyone is buying the explanation: These are lies by Google in order to please the American dictator, wrote a commenter on another Google Support forum about the changes.Google Search prohibits autocomplete for impeach TrumpEarlier this month, social media users also noticed that Google Search no longer suggests an autocomplete for impeach Trump when the beginning of the query is typed in the search box, Snopes reported. A Google spokesperson told the fact-checking site that the autocomplete suggestion was removed because the companys policies prohibit autocomplete predictions that could be interpreted as a position for or against a political figure. In this case, some predictions were appearing that shouldnt have been, and were taking action to block them. Google also recently removed predictions for impeach Biden, impeach Clinton, and others, the spokesperson added, though search results dont appear to be altered.More Must-Reads from TIMEInside Elon Musks War on WashingtonIntroducing the 2025 ClosersColman Domingo Leads With Radical LoveWhy, Exactly, Is Alcohol So Bad for You?The Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise Harder11 New Books to Read in FebruaryHow to Get Better at Doing Things AloneColumn: Trumps Trans Military Ban Betrays Our TroopsContact us at letters@time.com