🌑 Europe plunged into darkness by solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Europe, causing darkness as the moon covered the sun. The celestial event was visible across a strip less than 300km wide, reaching from the Balearic Islands to a corner of Portugal. It started in northern Siberia and reached Spain at about 8:30pm GMT on Wednesday. While some areas like Reykjavik had cloud cover, Spain offered good viewing conditions. The alignment of sun, moon, and Earth created this dramatic, brief darkness.

🤖 HONOR Robot Phone brings ARRI cinema tech to mobile 📸

HONOR has launched the Robot Phone, featuring ARRI’s co-engineered technology with a 200MP gimbal-mounted main camera. This device debuted in China, with a starting price of ¥9,999 (around $1,480). It incorporates 10-bit ARRI LogC3 and ARRI Wide Gamut 3, aiming to be a mobile production tool. The phone boasts a Titanium Agile Gimbal, offering 360-degree rotation and advanced stabilization modes. The real test will be how well its LogC3 tracks professional ALEXA footage in post-production.

💥 US Eyes Joint Strikes Against Colombian Groups

The United States is exploring the possibility of conducting joint military strikes against various armed groups operating in Colombia. This potential operation would involve coordination between US forces and Colombian military assets. Details suggest these strikes could take place around late 2024. The move comes as both nations deal with ongoing security threats from these factions. Further discussions are expected to shape the final plan and execution strategy. 🇨🇴

🔬 AI finds hidden tumor cell origins in cancer research

AI-based methods are helping uncover the hidden roots of tumor metastasis by analyzing microscopic tissue images. Researchers in Szeged, collaborating with Swiss and Swedish partners, developed these AI tools at the HUN-REN Biological Research Centre. The work involves single-cell-level measurements of genetic and protein profiles, detailed in recent high-impact publications. This new approach allows scientists to map a tumor's internal workings at a molecular level, beyond what traditional methods show. This research opens fresh perspectives for developing precision cancer therapies in the future. 🔬

🤖 Twitch content used for Amazon AI by default

Twitch will now let Amazon train its generative AI models using creators' content by default. This change impacts creators across the Twitch platform, which serves as the location for this data usage. The update is effective now, requiring creators to manually opt out if they do not want their content used. Twitch executives stated that an opt-in system was deemed unworkable due to low adoption rates. Users can currently disable this feature within their channel settings on the platform. 🤖

⚽ Man Utd pivot to Real Madrid star after Lewis-Skelly snub

Manchester United might target Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga after their pursuit of Myles Lewis-Skelly hit a snag. The Red Devils were reportedly interested in Lewis-Skelly, Lewis Hall, and Camavinga, but Lewis-Skelly prefers staying at Arsenal. Camavinga is thought to be available if a €50-60million bid arrives, though Romano says he wants to remain at Madrid. Additionally, United and Chelsea are scouting Lamine Camara, while Liverpool and United admire Iliman Ndiaye. ⚽

🤖 DeepSeek V4 Pro drops, way cheaper than Claude Fable 🤖

DeepSeek quietly released the general-availability version of deepseek-v4-pro as 0813. This updated model was benchmarked against Claude Fable 5 across nine agent benchmarks where DeepSeek averages 5.3% ahead. Fable 5 costs $10 per million input tokens, while V4 Pro is priced at just $0.435 per million input tokens. This pricing difference amounts to roughly 4,600% cost savings for users. Chinese open-weights labs continue to close the gap with US competitors at a fraction of the cost.

🌕 More celestial action coming after recent eclipse

Space experts confirm there are more astronomical events coming up this year and in 2027. A partial lunar eclipse is scheduled for August 27 and August 28 for most of North America. The eclipse will last over five hours, with the peak visibility lasting around 3 hours and 18 minutes. During the maximum phase, most of North America should be able to view this phenomenon. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch without any special equipment.

🧪 Peptide creates self-healing hydrogel ✨

Researchers have developed a novel hydrogel using a single synthetic peptide. This material was created by scientists at a specific institution, though the location is not detailed in the abstract. The peptide forms an electrically polarized structure that exhibits self-healing properties. This breakthrough shows potential for advanced biomaterials applications. Future work will focus on testing its durability and integration into medical devices.

🧠 Estrogen Therapy Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

A new study suggests that estrogen-only hormone therapy might be associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia. Researchers found this link after observing participants in a large observational study conducted in the UK. The data analyzed covered several years of patient records up until late 2023. This finding adds to ongoing discussions about hormonal health and cognitive decline in older adults. Future research will likely focus on confirming these associations in controlled clinical trials.

⛽ Refinery attacks fuel global diesel supply crunch

Attacks on Russian and Saudi refineries are deepening the global diesel supply crunch right before peak demand season. Refining margins in Europe surged by 10%, with U.S. diesel futures rising 7.4% since July. These disruptions are occurring while refineries are running at near-maximum capacity globally. Analysts predict elevated refining margins until year-end because of geopolitical issues. This prolonged squeeze suggests a sustained high cost for fuel across industries. ⛽