Tag: Science & Technology

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) groundbreaking Proba-3 mission has successfully completed its final test before being shipped to India for launch by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). This dual-satellite mission, designed to create an artificial solar eclipse in space, demonstrated its operational readiness by receiving commands from its science team and transmitting images back, mirroring its planned in-orbit functionality.
Proba-3’s innovative approach involves two satellites flying in precise formation, with one casting a shadow on the other to block out the Sun’s disk. This technique will allow for prolonged observation of the Sun’s corona, a feat previously unachievable in space missions. The test, conducted over 12 hours, simulated part of Proba-3’s highly elliptical 19.5-hour orbit around Earth. It focused on the six-hour period around the orbit’s apogee, where the formation flying and solar corona observations will occur.
The Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels sent payload operation requests to ESA’s control center in Redu, which then transmitted commands to the spacecraft in a cleanroom at Redwire Space in Kruibeke. This final System Validation Test (SVT) was crucial in verifying the mission’s operational chain, involving actual ground segment facilities, software, and personnel who will oversee the mission.
It demonstrated the ability to send commands for in-flight calibration, scientific observation, and command updates, providing flexibility for responding to exceptional solar events.
Proba-3 system engineers highlighted the importance of these tests in ensuring smooth data flow between the ground segment and satellites, emphasizing the mission’s highly automated ground and flight system.
With testing complete, Proba-3 is scheduled to be shipped to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India on October 21, with a planned launch by PSLV-XL launcher on November 29.
This mission represents the latest in ESA’s family of experimental minisatellites, pushing the boundaries of space technology and solar observation.

YouTube is constantly evolving to enhance the experience for both viewers and creators. Whether you’re learning a new recipe or tuning in to your favorite YouTuber’s challenge, YouTube’s latest updates promise to make the platform even more user-friendly and interactive. Rolling out across mobile, web, TV, and YouTube Music, the platform is introducing more than two dozen improvements aimed at refining how users engage with content. From better browsing controls to enhanced personalization tools, YouTube’s latest updates are built to cater to its vast community. One of the most anticipated updates is the ability to fine-tune playback speeds. Now, users can adjust speeds in 0.05 increments, giving them more control over how they watch videos. This feature caters to users who want a more precise way to slow down or speed up content.
Additionally, iOS users can look forward to improved browsing in landscape mode, which will feature larger thumbnails and bigger text for easier navigation. These tweaks ensure a smoother, more responsive browsing experience.
Improved Miniplayer
The YouTube mobile app’s miniplayer has received a significant upgrade, allowing users to multitask like never before. Viewers can now resize and move the miniplayer around, making it easier to browse for more content while continuing to watch a video. This feature is perfect for those who enjoy adding videos to their queues while still keeping their current content in view.
AI-Powered Thumbnails
YouTube is also focusing on making playlists more interactive and customisable. With the new collaborative playlist feature, users can invite friends and family to contribute to a playlist using a special link or, coming soon to TVs, a QR code. This means building the perfect playlist just got a lot easier and more fun.
What’s more, playlist creators can now design custom thumbnails. You can upload your own photos or create a thumbnail using generative AI, which allows you to pick a theme and choose from AI-generated images. These updates make playlist creation more personal and visually engaging.
New Sleep Timer Feature for Nighttime Viewing
For those who often fall asleep while watching YouTube, the new Sleep Timer is a game-changer. This feature allows users to set a timer that pauses the video after a set duration, helping to manage screen time better. After being tested with Premium members, it’s now available to all users across mobile devices.
Earn Badges and Show Off Your Achievements
YouTube is introducing badges to reward users for their engagement and support. These badges will celebrate milestones like being an early paid member of a creator’s channel or completing quizzes. Music fans can also earn badges for being a top listener of their favorite artists. Users can display these badges proudly in the “You” tab, adding a new element of community recognition to the platform.

Google has entered into an agreement with Kairos Power to utilise small nuclear reactors to power its artificial intelligence (AI) operations. This deal marks a significant shift in the tech industry’s approach to meeting the escalating energy demands of AI technologies.
The partnership aims to bring Kairos Power’s first small modular reactor (SMR) online by 2030, with additional reactors planned through 2035.
Collectively, these reactors are expected to generate up to 500 megawatts of power, providing a consistent and carbon-free energy source for Google’s data centres.
As part of our commitment to clean energy, we’re signing the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors to be developed by @KairosPower.
“The next generation of advanced nuclear reactors offers a new pathway to accelerate nuclear deployment thanks to their simplified design and robust, inherent safety,” Google said in a statement.
Google’s senior director of energy and climate emphasised the critical role of nuclear energy in supporting clean growth and AI progress. “The grid needs these kinds of clean, reliable sources of energy that can support the build-out of these technologies,” he stated during a briefing.
This move aligns with a growing trend among tech giants seeking sustainable energy solutions for their expanding AI operations.
Recently, Microsoft announced plans to utilise energy from the Three Mile Island nuclear facility, while Amazon has invested in a nuclear-powered data centre campus.
The adoption of SMR technology is seen as a potential game-changer in the nuclear energy sector. These reactors are more compact and potentially easier to deploy than traditional nuclear plants. However, the technology is still in its early stages and awaits regulatory approval.
Source: India Today

Antarctica is turning green “dramatically”, with the trend accelerated by more than 30 per cent in recent years, compared to the past three decades, a new study has found.
Researchers found that vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula increased more than tenfold — from less than 1 sq km to almost 12 sq km — between 1986 and 2021.
The researchers, including those at the University of Exeter, UK, used satellite data to estimate the “greening” rate of the Antarctic Peninsula in response to the climate change.
“This recent acceleration in the rate of change in vegetation cover (2016-2021) coincides with a marked decrease in sea-ice extent in Antarctica over the same period,” the authors wrote in the study published in the journal, Nature Geoscience.
The study provided evidence that a widespread greening trend, across the Antarctic Peninsula, was underway and accelerating, they said.
Antarctica has been shown to be warming faster than the global average, with extreme heat events becoming more common.
“The plants we find on the Antarctic Peninsula, mostly mosses, grow in perhaps the harshest conditions on earth,” corresponding author Thomas Roland, University of Exeter, said.
While only a tiny fraction of the landscape — still largely dominated by snow, ice and rock — was colonised by plant life that tiny fraction has grown “dramatically”, showing that even this vast and isolated ‘wilderness’ was affected by human-caused climate change, Roland said.
Corresponding author Oliver Bartlett, University of Hertfordshire, UK, said as the climate warmed and these plant ecosystems established themselves more, it was likely that the greening would increase.
“Soil in Antarctica is mostly poor or non-existent, but this increase in plant life will add organic matter and facilitate soil formation — potentially paving the way for other plants to grow,” Bartlett said.
Calling for further research to look into the processes that are driving the greening trend, the researchers said the study raised serious concerns about the future of Antarctica. “The sensitivity of the Antarctic Peninsula’s vegetation to climate change is now clear and, under future (human-caused) warming, we could see fundamental changes to the biology and landscape of this iconic and vulnerable region,” Roland said.
“In order to protect Antarctica, we must understand these changes and identify precisely what is causing them,” he added. Source: PTI

More than 50 per cent of the smartphones shipped during the second quarter this year had cameras with 50MP resolution, as average primary camera resolution of smartphones doubled from 27MP in Q2 2020 to reach the highest-ever level of 54MP, according to a report.
The gradual growth can be attributed to persistent consumer preference for improved cameras. Over the years, there has been a shift in the number of rear cameras as well, according to Counterpoint Research. To meet these expectations, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have continued to focus on camera innovation and adoption of higher resolutions.
While the quad camera setup captured 32 per cent of the shipments at its peak in Q3 2020, the triple camera setup dominated the market in Q2 2024 with a 45 per cent share.
According to the report, the shift can be attributed to OEMs integrating macro camera capabilities into ultrawide and telephoto lenses, while increasing the sensor size for better light intake.
While lower-resolution cameras will continue to move upwards, the higher-resolution ones are expected to stabilise in the coming years. The report further mentioned that OEMs will focus more on other aspects to further improve quality.
The telephoto lens is likely to be emphasised to provide better optical zoom capabilities and better light intake, along with more focus on on-device processing to deliver realistic skin tones and scenes, and incorporation of GenAI features as newer use cases emerge.
In the premium smartphone segment, the shift was driven by Apple switching to 48MP from 12MP with the iPhone 15 series.
The report stated that in the entry-to-mid-price segment, the trend was driven by Android OEMs, especially Chinese, adopting higher-resolution cameras as a differentiating factor.
“There has been consistent growth in the adoption of high-resolution cameras like 108MP and 100MP across mid-price segments,” the report mentioned. Source: IANS

Elon Musk, the owner of X, has advised users of the social media platform to refrain from excessively using bold fonts in their posts. He stated that such posts would no longer be displayed prominently in the main timeline.
Musk highlighted that the bold font feature, intended to help users emphasise specific parts of their messages, can detract from the overall appeal of a post when overused. He expressed his frustration in a post, saying, “You will have to click on post details to see anything in bold. My eyes are bleeding.”
Due to immediate and excessive use of bold font on X, it will be removed from view in the main timeline.
You will have to click on post details to see anything in bold. My eyes are bleeding. The change, effective immediately, means that any text formatted in bold will be hidden from direct view on the main feed.
Users will now need to click on individual posts to see the bold text. This update applies not only to web users but has recently been extended to those using the iOS and Android apps.
Previously, X only allowed bold and italic text formatting for web users, but the feature’s expansion to mobile platforms has led to a notable increase in its usage.
This new rule has been announced to remind users about maintaining readability and aesthetic quality in their posts, ensuring that the platform remains user-friendly.
With this new rule, X aims to enhance the visual experience for its users and maintain the integrity of the platform’s content. Source: ANI

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov embarked on a special mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Their main objective was to bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been stranded on the ISS since June 2024. The tension of uncertainty loomed over the entire mission, but hope and determination fueled their journey.
Upon successfully docking the Dragon capsule with the ISS on a serene Sunday, the atmosphere onboard transitioned from apprehension to elation. As Hague and Gorbunov stepped onto the space station, they were warmly greeted by the Expedition 72 crew, which included NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. The sense of relief and joy was palpable as the crew embraced the returning astronauts.
The entire crew, comprising a mix of NASA and Roscosmos astronauts, worked in harmony to ensure a smooth transition for the arrival of Hague and Gorbunov. The space station buzzed with activity as preparations were made for the return journey of Williams and Wilmore aboard the Dragon spacecraft, scheduled for the following year.
Amid this momentous occasion, NASA’s Johnson Space Center shared the official welcome on social media, marking the significance of the reunion in space. With the temporary increase in the crew size to accommodate the new arrivals, the space station became a bustling hub of international collaboration and scientific exploration.
Meanwhile, the rescue mission launched by SpaceX unfolded against a backdrop of challenges posed by external factors such as high winds and rain due to Hurricane Helene. Despite the hurdles, the successful arrival of the crew at the ISS underscored the resilience and dedication of the astronauts involved.
The Dragon capsule, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, will stay docked at the ISS until February, extending Wilmore and Williams’ mission to over eight months instead of the originally planned week-long trip. Two NASA astronauts were removed from the return mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
Williams, the space station commander, welcomed Hague and Gorbunov, saying, “I just want to say welcome to our new compadres,” as the newcomers were embraced by the station’s crew of nine. Hague reflected on the journey, noting the smooth flight and the emotional moment of arrival, predicting an “amazing expedition” ahead.
Boeing’s Starliner faces scrutiny after capsule safety concerns
NASA generally rotates station crews every six months, and since 2020, SpaceX has been responsible for astronaut transportation. Boeing, initially contracted for ferry flights, faced multiple delays and over $1 billion in repairs due to software glitches and other issues with its Starliner capsule. Post-flight inspections and data reviews of Starliner are currently underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, though NASA hasn’t given up on Boeing entirely, according to Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator.

With the arrival of the new astronauts, the four who have been aboard since March are set to return to Earth in a week using their SpaceX capsule, bringing the ISS crew back to its usual size of seven. Their stay was extended by a month due to the Starliner complications. While Saturday’s SpaceX launch went smoothly, a malfunction in the rocket’s upper stage caused it to miss its targeted Pacific Ocean impact zone, prompting SpaceX to suspend Falcon launches until the issue is resolved.

A team of Indian researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru — autonomous institutes under Department of Science and Technology (DST) — have unravelled new method to create nanostructures for use in biomedicine and electronics. The team made a breakthrough in understanding the process of controlling the assembly of tiny molecular units into complex structures. This, they said, holds promise for creating new materials that could revolutionise industries like electronics, healthcare.
“Supramolecular self-assembly is a process where small molecules spontaneously organise into larger, well-defined structures without external direction,” said the Ministry of Science and Technology, in a statement. “Understanding this process is crucial for creating new organic materials that can be used to develop nanodevices — tiny machines useful for performing specific tasks at the molecular level,” it added.
The researchers explored the self-assembly behaviour of specific molecules called chiral amphiphilic naphthalene diimide derivatives (NDI-L and NDI-D). They experimented with two different methods of assembling these molecules — solution-phase assembly and air-water interface assembly. The solution phase involved assembling molecules in a liquid solution. This leads to the formation of spherical nanoparticles, which display unique optical properties, such as strong mirror-imaged circular dichroism (CD) signals. These properties are important for materials that interact with light in precise ways.
On the other hand, the air-water interface assembly involved the assembling of molecules at the boundary between air and water. Here, instead of forming spherical nanoparticles, the molecules arranged themselves into flat, two-dimensional layers with irregular edges. Source: IANS

Astronomers from the University of Arizona, alongside an international research team, have used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b, revealing groundbreaking findings about its atmospheric asymmetry.
This hot, inflated planet, similar in size to Jupiter but only a tenth of its mass, exhibits significant east-west asymmetry, making it a unique discovery in the study of exoplanets.
The study, led by graduate student Matthew Murphy from the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, was published in Nature Astronomy. It marks the first time such asymmetry has been observed in an exoplanet during its transit — when it passes in front of its star — using space-based observation.
WASP-107b is tidally locked, meaning one side of the planet perpetually faces its host star, while the other remains in permanent darkness. This configuration results in dramatic differences in atmospheric conditions between the planet’s day side and night side.
The JWST allowed Murphy’s team to observe these differences using transmission spectroscopy, a technique that analyzes light passing through a planet’s atmosphere to determine its composition, structure, and other characteristics.
“Thanks to the unprecedented precision of the James Webb Space Telescope, we were able to separate the signals from the eastern and western hemispheres of the planet’s atmosphere, providing a clearer picture of its dynamics,” Murphy explained.
The findings have offered new insights into the atmosphere’s gases, cloud formations, and the impact of varying sunlight exposure on each side of the planet.
WASP-107b is particularly unique because of its low density, making its atmosphere more inflated compared to other exoplanets of similar mass. Despite its extreme temperature of 890°F, WASP-107b occupies a middle ground between the planets in our solar system and the hottest exoplanets discovered.
“This discovery has opened new doors,” Murphy said. “Our models didn’t predict such an asymmetry for a planet like this, so we’re already learning new things.”

No matter whether you buy the new iPhone 16 series or skip it, if you have an eligible device that supports iOS 18, you’ll still get all the new software features available on the latest iPhones. Think of it this way: you don’t need to buy a new iPhone, but your existing device will still receive all the latest software features.
The good news is that iOS 18 is a reasonably big update, offering new features like personalisation options, including custom icons, a revamped Control Center, and support for locked and hidden apps. However, those hyped ‘AI’ features aren’t ready—at least, not yet. That being said, iOS 18 offers a lot of brand-new features but six stood out the most for us.
First up, go download iOS 18 and update your iPhone
In case you didn’t notice, iOS 18 has been rolling out for a couple of hours. But don’t worry; if you have enabled automatic updates, your phone will notify you when it’s ready to install. If you want to download iOS 18 manually, open the Settings app and tap General > Software Update.
One request: before you download iOS 18, make sure your phone is eligible to receive the update. If you own a second-gen iPhone SE, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or any newer models from iPhone 11 through 15, you will be able to run iOS 18.
Fully personalise your home screen
Perhaps the most noticeable change when you update to iOS 18 is the slightly different home screen. For the first time, iPhone users can place app icons anywhere on the grid rather than being locked to a fixed pattern. That’s not all. You can also tint your app icons to match your phone’s wallpaper, set them to dark mode, or let them adjust automatically from morning to night.
To edit your home screen, simply long-press on the screen, and when the apps start to jiggle, tap the Edit button in the upper-left corner. You can also adjust the app size and the brightness of your background. Additionally, iOS 18 introduces changes to the Control Center, which can now be fully customised. All toggles are now replaceable, and some offer multiple sizes.
The larger toggles and tiles mean you may run out of space sooner, but don’t worry—you can create multiple pages and customise them as needed. To customise the Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner and then long-press on the screen. You can resize controls with rounded edges and reposition all of them across any of the pages. Tap “Add a Control” at the bottom of the screen to see all available controls.
You can also remove or replace the camera and flashlight toggles on the Lock Screen, though it might not be as significant an update as some had hoped. Android users may poke fun at it, but Apple is finally making it easy to customise your iPhone’s home screen. We’d say it’s a step in the right direction (thank you, Apple!).
Send cash with a tap
Imagine sending money by simply touching and tapping another iPhone. It may sound unbelievable at first, but the feature is actually live and can be used in iOS 18. The condition is that both iPhones need to be running iOS 18 to use Tap to Cash, which more or less makes it obvious what the feature is all about.
To use the new Tap to Cash option in Apple Wallet, you need to have money stored in Apple Cash and can only send money to an iPhone running iOS 18. The feature takes advantage of the iPhone’s NFC chip, if you’re curious about how it works. To enable it, go to Wallet > Apple Cash > Send or Request > Tap to Cash. Enter an amount, tap your iPhone to the receiver’s iPhone, and you are all sorted. Apple notes that sending cash simply by touching your iPhones together is safe and the feature transfers money without having to share any personal info—a nice privacy element.
AI transcription for voice memos
When you update your iPhone to iOS 18 and open the Voice Memos app, you will notice that it now displays a live transcript of your speech while recording audio. Previously, iPhone users had to download a third-party app to transcribe voice memos, but that’s no longer necessary.
The recording interface is straightforward to use, and you can get text transcriptions by tapping on the speech bubble icon. You can similarly record audio and view the transcript in the Notes app as well. It’s a great feature for journalists, students, or anyone who wants to record meeting minutes. This is an AI feature, similar to what you get on a Google Pixel smartphone.
Notes can solve math for you
The iPhone can double as a diary or ledger to record monthly expenses, such as how much you spent on groceries when to pay your iPhone EMI, and more. You can already log your daily expenses in the iPhone’s Notes app, but there is a new addition in iOS 18 that crunches numbers for you automatically.
No need to use a calculator. For example, you can type a problem like ’90+30=’ and the Notes app will display the answer on the screen. You can use the equals sign to set values for variables (for example, ‘EMI = Rs 2500’, ‘Netflix = Rs 200’). By using these variables in a math problem, Notes solves it and updates the result if you change the amounts assigned to the variables. Forget about making spreadsheets for your monthly budget—Notes can handle it all with ease.
Reorganise your photos
The Photos app has received a major revamp in iOS 18, and it’s quite drastic. For starters, the library still has the same feel as in the previous version, but as you scroll down, you will see new automatically generated groups of pictures. You will find albums as before, but now there are also collection folders such as Recent Days, People & Pets, Pinned Collections, Memories, Trips, Utilities, and Media Type. You can customize the visibility and order of these items. However, the new changes to the Photos app have faced some backlash.

Google Search results will now include the historical context of links, providing information about recently updated web pages, the company announced on Wednesday. This initiative is part of a collaboration between the Mountain View-based tech giant and the Internet Archive – a US-based non-profit digital library that archives billions of web pages for future reference. This development builds upon the removal of the “cached” links feature in February that allowed users to view an older version of the web page.
Archived Web Pages on Google Search
In a blog post, the Internet Archive announced that archived web pages will now show in Google search results. To access previous versions of links, users need to select the three-dot option that appears next to a search result and choose More about this page in the About this result panel. It will show up alongside a link to the previous versions of that website with the See previous versions text.
The new feature leverages the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, displaying the website exactly how it looked on a previous date.
In a statement given to 9to5Google, Google said, “we’ve added links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to our ‘About this page’ feature, to give people quick context and make this helpful information easily accessible through Search.”
Google’s new archived links feature is still being rolled out and users globally may be able to see it in the coming days. It will be available to users in 40 languages. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify its availability on multiple websites.
While the tech giant previously offered similar functionality with one of its oldest features dubbed “cached” links, it was silently removed in February. Following its removal, users could leverage the operator “cache:[insert URL]” but this feature was also speculated to be removed soon. At the time, Google Search Liason theorised that one of the ways similar functionality could be brought back was via a link to the Wayback Machine, and this feature has finally been rolled out.

Apple on Septuneber 9 mveiled its artificial intelligence-boosted iPhone 16, showing off the long-awaited phone hours after Chinese rival Huawei’s tri-fold phone began racking up orders. “The next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up. It marks the beginning of an exciting new era,” Chief Executive Tim Cook said at a product launch.
Apple and technology companies around the world are racing to add AI to products, and phones are expected to be one of the most important battlegrounds. The Cupertino, California-based company also is betting the AI feature will drive consumers to upgrade amid a slowdown in iPhone sales.
Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI software, will be used to improve its personal assistant as well as enhancing features such as understanding and identifying objects captured by the phone camera. “Apple Intelligence marks the start of a new era for Siri and makes it more natural, more contextually relevant and more personal to you,” said Apple’s software engineering chief, Craig Federighi.
A test version of Apple Intelligence will be available in English as spoken in the U.S. next month. It will be available for other localized versions of English in December, with versions in languages including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish next year.
The iPhone 16 will use the new A18 chip and have an aluminum back, as well as a new customizable button that can be used for camera controls. The iPhone 16 will start at $799 and the iPhone 16 Plus will start at $899.
Apple also unveiled iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, titanium models with a faster chip, the A18 Pro, and more AI capability, such as offering suggestions on how to set up a photo shoot more effectively. The iPhone 16 Pro will start at $999 and the 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199.
Huawei’s website showed on Monday that it had garnered more than 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone. This underscores Huawei’s ability to navigate U.S. sanctions and solidifies its position against Apple in China, where consumers are hankering for more AI features and are willing to pay for them.
WATCHES AND AIRPODS
Apple also unveiled new Watches and AirPods. The new Series 10 Watch starts at $399, is thinner than its predecessor and has an up to 30% larger screen than previous generations. Apple highlighted the Watch’s ability to help with sports and health issues, including finding longer-term conditions such as sleep apnea as well as detecting and responding to emergencies such as a fall.
Apple also launched a new version of the more rugged Watch Ultra 2, starting at $799. The new AirPods 4 have a new design for more comfortable wearing and improved acoustics. And Apple rolled out hearing-aid features that it has submitted for U.S. Source: Reuters

A long-lost moon could explain Mars’ unusual shape and extreme terrain, according to a new hypothesis proposed by Michael Efroimsky, an astronomer at the US Naval Observatory.
In a paper submitted to the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Efroimsky suggests that Mars may have once had a much larger moon, named Nerio, which could have dramatically altered the planet’s landscape.
Mars is known for hosting some of the most extreme terrain in the solar system, including Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano, and Valles Marineris, the largest canyon.
One of the most notable features is the Tharsis bulge, a massive highland region near Mars’ equator. Opposite this region lies Terra Sabaea and Syrtis Major, further highland areas and a large shield volcano.
These features create an unusual imbalance in the planet’s shape, which Efroimsky believes could be explained by Nerio’s gravitational influence.
“The new study the possibility of a young Mars having had a massive moon, which synchronised the rotation of Mars, and gave Mars an initial asymmetric triaxiality to be later boosted by geological processes,” the paper read.
Efroimsky proposes that the large moon’s mass could have caused tidal bulges in Mars’ molten surface, similar to how Earth’s moon raises tides in our oceans.
However, because Mars is smaller than Earth, it cooled more quickly, locking the planet’s surface into its current distorted form. Nerio’s presence could have set the stage for the Red Planet’s dramatic landscape, with subsequent geological processes enhancing the initial deformations.
The fate of Nerio remains a mystery. Efroimsky suggests the moon could have been destroyed in a collision, leaving behind Mars’ two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, or it may have been ejected from the solar system due to gravitational interactions with another body.

Apple is hosting its fall event on September 9, 2024 to reveal the new iPhone 16 series. Traditionally, the company uses this platform to unveil all of its new hardware to be released that year. This time, the iPhone 16 series is anticipated to take the centre stage, thanks to the AI integration. It is the first ever Apple smartphone series to feature AI. The series will have 4 devices; iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. During WWDC 2024, the company announced that the Pro models will also feature Apple Intelligence. But this does not mean that the base models, iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, will not have any AI features. Barring Apple Intelligence, the non-Pro variants are also expected to utilise AI features for an enhanced user experience. Let’s take a look at what is expected to come with iPhone 16 base models.
At the WWDC 2024, Apple brought the AI features to the front row. It said that the new iPhone 16 will bring an improved Siri, deeply integrated with AI. Beyond Siri, AI is seamlessly integrated into various apps. The Messages and Mail apps now leverage AI to suggest appropriate responses, summarise lengthy threads, and compose emails in different tones. The Photos app benefits from AI-powered features like object removal and enhanced search capabilities. Let’s look at the details:
Siri overhaul
Siri’s interface has undergone a makeover, now featuring a fresh and modern design. When invoked, Siri is accompanied by a subtle, vibrant glow that gently emanates from the screen’s corners, signalling that the assistant is actively listening and ready to assist. Additionally, Siri will now be able to understand natural language more efficiently. So, the iPhone 16 will feature a personal assistant that will understand you more easily. It will also be able to solve follow-up questions or commands.
Genmoji
Apple is introducing a innovative feature called “Genmoji” that allows users to design personalised emojis using text prompts. These custom-generated emojis will have the same visual style as standard emojis, giving users a fun and creative way to express themselves with unique and tailored symbols.
Advanced Safari
The iOS internet browser, Safari, will now offer an easier way to discover information on the web with Highlights and a redesigned Reader experience. Using machine learning, Safari can surface key information about a webpage. For example, users can review a summary to get the gist of an article; quickly see the location of a restaurant, hotel, or landmark; or listen to an artist’s track right from an article about the song or album. Reader has been redesigned to offer even more ways to enjoy articles without distraction, with a summary and table of contents included for longer articles.
Improved calculator and Notes
In the Notes app, formulas and equations entered while typing are solved instantly with Math Notes. New collapsable sections and highlighting make it easier to emphasise what’s important.
Voice Transcribe
The iPhone 16 is expected to include an innovative feature called Voice Transcribe, which enables users to convert voice recordings into written text. Integrated with the phone’s recording app, this feature may also be extended to call recording, allowing for easy transcription of conversations. However, to ensure transparency, the feature will likely notify the other party when a call is being recorded, maintaining ethical standards and avoiding anonymous transcription.

Popular action camera-maker GoPro announced two new GoPro cameras on Wednesday, September 4. The two new devices––the Hero 13 Black and Hero––come with a slew of innovations and new features aimed at those who want to ace adventure photography. The top-of-the-line Hero13 Black, priced at Rs 44,900, comes with the HB-Series Lenses. The Hero, GoPro’s smallest and simplest camera. Both cameras come with some unique features that have been built upon GoPro patented technologies.
Talking about the latest launches, GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman said that the two new devices are inspired by and built for the GoPro community. “HERO13 Black features four new interchangeable lens mods that HERO13 automatically detects and adjusts its settings for, magnetic latch mounting, GPS, and a more powerful battery that provides longer runtimes and improved thermal performance. And then there’s HERO, the smallest, lightest 4K GoPro ever with a screen that will appeal to new and experienced users with its rugged, ultralight design and impressive 4K image quality,” Woodman said.
The Hero13 Black can be opted as a standalone camera at Rs 44,990 as well as the Hero13 Black Creator Edition, priced at Rs 64,990, and comes with Volta Power Grip, Media Mod, Light Mod. Users can also pick the activity-optimised Hero13 Black Accessory Bundle priced at Rs 49,990. This accessory bundle includes Hero13 Black, floating hand grip, an extra Enduro battery, an extra Curved Adhesive Mount, and a 64GB SD card along with a case.
When it comes to features, Hero13 Black comes with 13X Burst Slo-Mo that captures up to 400 per second at 720p, 120fps at 5.3K, and 360 fps at 900p video. The redesigned Enduro battery offers 10 per cent more capacity and better efficiency in all weather conditions. Besides, the Snap and Go Magnetic Latch allows for three mounting options. Also, WiFi 6 allows 40 per cent faster content transfer.