Capacity development

Gate Group secures MiCA license in Malta

Gate Group’s Malta-based subsidiary, Gate Technology Ltd, has secured a MiCA license from the Malta Financial Services Authority. The license authorises crypto asset trading and custody services.

Founder Dr. Han underscored compliance as central to operations, praising Malta’s progressive regulatory framework. The move aligns with Gate Group’s focus on transparency and user safety across Europe.

Securing the MiCA license enables Gate Europe to initiate EU passporting for broader regional expansion. CEO Giovanni Cunti outlined plans to strengthen compliance while offering secure, professional services.

Gate Group holds regulatory approvals in jurisdictions like Italy, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Malta’s transparent regulations and innovative environment make it an ideal European base. The company seeks to foster sustainable growth in the region’s crypto ecosystem.

Establishing a foothold in Malta positions Gate Group to leverage the country’s role as a crypto hub. Continued investment will support the local digital economy, ensuring long-term development and regulatory adherence in Europe’s crypto market.

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Microsoft boosts productivity with AI-powered subscriptions

Microsoft has enhanced its Microsoft 365 subscriptions by deeply integrating Copilot, its AI assistant, into apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook. A new Microsoft 365 Premium plan, priced at £19.99 monthly, combines advanced AI features with productivity tools.

The plan targets professionals, entrepreneurs, and families seeking to streamline tasks efficiently.

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers gain higher usage limits for Copilot features like image generation and deep research at no extra cost. Copilot Chat, now available across these apps, assists with drafting, analysis, and automation.

These updates aim to embed AI seamlessly into daily workflows. Samsung Electronics will provide energy-efficient DRAM for OpenAI’s Stargate, meeting a projected demand of 900,000 wafers monthly.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Frontier programme offers subscribers access to experimental AI tools, such as Office Agent, enhancing productivity. A global student offer provides free Microsoft 365 Personal for a year.

Fresh icons for Word, Excel, and other apps highlight Microsoft’s AI-driven evolution. Secure workplace AI use, backed by enterprise data protection, ensures compliance and safety. These innovations establish Microsoft 365 as a leader in AI-powered productivity.

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AI tool detects tiny brain lesions, offering hope of epilepsy cure

Australian researchers have developed an AI tool that can identify tiny brain lesions in children with epilepsy, a breakthrough they say could enable faster diagnoses and pave the way for potential cures.

Scientists from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital designed the ‘AI epilepsy detective’ to detect lesions as small as a blueberry in up to 94 percent of cases. These cortical dysplasias are often invisible to doctors reviewing MRI scans, with around 80 percent of cases previously missed during human examination.

In a study published in Epilepsia, the team tested the tool on 71 children and 23 adults with focal epilepsy. Seventeen children were part of the test group, and 12 underwent surgery after the lesions were identified using the AI. Eleven are now seizure-free.

Lead researcher Dr Emma Macdonald-Laurs said earlier lesion identification can speed surgery referrals and improve outcomes. ‘Identifying the cause early lets us tailor treatment options and helps neurosurgeons plan and navigate surgery,’ she explained. ‘More accurate imaging allows neurosurgeons to develop a safer surgical roadmap and avoid removing healthy brain tissue.’

Brain lesions are one of the most common causes of drug-resistant seizures, yet they can be challenging to detect using conventional imaging techniques. The researchers now hope to expand the use of their AI tool across paediatric hospitals in Australia with additional funding.

One child, five-year-old Royal, experienced frequent seizures before doctors using the tool identified and removed the lesion responsible. His mother said he is seizure-free and has returned to his ‘calm, friendly, and patient’ self.

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Liverpool scientists develop low-cost AI blood test for Alzheimer’s

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a low-cost blood test that could enable earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The handheld devices, powered by AI and equipped with polymer-based biosensors, deliver results with accuracy comparable to hospital tests at a fraction of the cost.

Alzheimer’s affects more than 55 million people worldwide and remains the most common cause of dementia. Existing hospital tests are accurate but expensive and inaccessible in many clinics, delaying diagnosis and treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

One study utilised plastic antibodies on a porous gold surface to detect p-tau181, matching high-end laboratory methods. Another built a circuit-board device with a chemical coating that distinguished healthy from patient samples at a lower cost.

The platform is linked to a low-cost reader and a web app that utilises AI for instant analysis. Lead researcher Dr Sanjiv Sharma said the aim was to make Alzheimer’s testing ‘as accessible as checking blood pressure or blood sugar.’

The World Health Organisation has called for decentralised brain disease diagnostics. Researchers say these technologies bring that vision closer to reality, offering hope for earlier treatment and better care.

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Smarter Alexa+ powers Amazon’s new gadgets

Amazon has unveiled a refreshed lineup of devices in New York, designed to work with its new AI-powered assistant Alexa+. The showcase featured Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, a Kindle with a colour display and enhanced Ring and Blink cameras, all set to be released later this year.

After years of investment, the company is seeking to reignite interest in Alexa, adding AI to provide more personalisation and a natural conversational style instead of the more mechanical responses of earlier versions.

New silicon chips promise faster processing across Echo devices, while Ring cameras can now use AI to distinguish between a courier and a potential intruder.

Ring’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, who recently returned to Amazon, demonstrated how updated cameras can assist communities by helping to identify missing dogs through neighbourhood alerts. Siminoff described the effort as turning individual concerns into community action.

Ring devices will be priced between 60 and 350 dollars, depending on features, while Blink cameras now offer sharper resolution for indoor and outdoor monitoring.

Amazon’s device chief, Panos Panay, presented the new Kindle Scribe, a $630 tablet with stylus support, and the first Kindle with a colour screen, which offered a paper-like writing feel.

Updated Fire TV sets and a $40 streaming stick also integrate Alexa+, enabling users to search scenes or retrieve information about actors through voice commands instead of traditional menus.

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Sora 2.0 release reignites debate on intellectual property in AI video

OpenAI has launched Sora 2.0, the latest version of its video generation model, alongside an iOS app available by invitation in the US and Canada. The tool offers advances in physical realism, audio-video synchronisation, and multi-shot storytelling, with built-in safeguards for security and identity control.

The app allows users to create, remix, or appear in clips generated from text or images. A Pro version, web interface, and developer API are expected soon, extending access to the model.

Sora 2.0 has reignited debate over intellectual property. According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has informed studios and talent agencies that their universes could appear in generated clips unless they opt out.

The company defends its approach as an extension of fan creativity, while stressing that real people’s images and voices require prior consent, validated through a verified cameo system.

By combining new creative tools with identity safeguards, OpenAI aims to position Sora 2.0 as a leading platform in the fast-growing market for AI-generated video.

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Calls for regulation grow as OpenAI and Meta adjust chatbots for teen mental health

OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots handle conversations with teenagers showing signs of distress or asking about suicide. OpenAI plans to launch new parental controls this fall, enabling parents to link accounts, restrict features, and receive alerts if their child appears to be in acute distress.

The company says its chatbots will also route sensitive conversations to more capable models, aiming to improve responses to vulnerable users. The announcement follows a lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT encouraged a California teenager to take his own life earlier this year.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is also tightening its restrictions. Its chatbots will no longer engage teens on self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or inappropriate topics, instead redirecting them towards expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls across teen accounts.

The moves come amid growing scrutiny of chatbot safety. A RAND Corporation study found inconsistent responses from ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude when asked about suicide, suggesting the tools require further refinement before being relied upon in high-risk situations.

Lead author Ryan McBain welcomed the updates but called them only incremental. Without safety benchmarks and enforceable standards, he argued, companies remain self-regulating in an area where risks to teenagers are uniquely high.

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How AI is transforming healthcare and patient management

AI is moving from theory to practice in healthcare. Hospitals and clinics are adopting AI to improve diagnostics, automate routine tasks, support overworked staff, and cut costs. A recent GoodFirms survey shows strong confidence that AI will become essential to patient care and health management.

Survey findings reveal that nearly all respondents believe AI will transform healthcare. Robotic surgery, predictive analytics, and diagnostic imaging are gaining momentum, while digital consultations and wearable monitors are expanding patient access.

AI-driven tools are also helping reduce human errors, improve decision-making, and support clinicians with real-time insights.

Challenges remain, particularly around data privacy, transparency, and the risk of over-reliance on technology. Concerns about misdiagnosis, lack of human empathy, and job displacement highlight the need for responsible implementation.

Even so, the direction is clear: AI is set to be a defining force in healthcare’s future, enabling more efficient, accurate, and equitable systems worldwide.

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Neutral-atom quantum computer reaches new milestone

Caltech physicists have developed a groundbreaking neutral-atom quantum computer, trapping 6,100 caesium atoms as qubits in a single array. Published in Nature, the achievement marks the largest such system to date, surpassing previous arrays limited to hundreds of qubits.

The system maintains exceptional stability, with qubits coherent for 13 seconds and single-qubit operations achieving 99.98% accuracy. Using optical tweezers, researchers move atoms with precision while maintaining their superposition state, essential for reliable quantum computing.

The milestone highlights neutral-atom systems as strong contenders in quantum computing, offering dynamic reconfigurability compared to rigid hardware. The ability to rearrange qubits during computations paves the way for advanced error correction in future systems.

As global efforts intensify to scale quantum machines, Caltech’s work sets a new benchmark. The team aims to advance entanglement for full-scale computations, bringing practical quantum solutions closer for fields like chemistry and materials science.

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Four new Echo devices debut with Amazon’s next-gen Alexa+

Amazon has unveiled four new Echo devices powered by Alexa+, its next-generation AI assistant. The lineup includes Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11, all designed for personalised, ambient AI-driven experiences. Buyers will automatically gain access to Alexa+.

At the core are the new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips, which feature AI accelerators, powering advanced models for speech, vision, and ambient interaction. The Echo Dot Max, priced at $99.99, features a two-speaker system with triple the bass, while the Echo Studio, priced at $219.99, adds spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.

The Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 introduce HD displays, enhanced audio, and intelligent sensing capabilities. Both feature 13-megapixel cameras that adapt to lighting and personalise interactions. The Echo Show 8 will cost $179.99, while the Echo Show 11 is priced at $219.99.

Beyond hardware, Alexa+ brings deeper conversational skills and more intelligent daily support, spanning home organisation, entertainment, health, wellness, and shopping. Amazon also introduced the Alexa+ Store, a platform for discovering third-party services and integrations.

The Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio will launch on October 29, while the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 arrive on November 12. Amazon positions the new portfolio as a leap toward making ambient AI experiences central to everyday living.

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