World's First Lightning Rod Drones Tested in Japan

In Japan, the world's first lightning rod drones have been tested. The drones from the company NTT successfully induce and direct lightning using electric field oscillations. Drone networks will be deployed in cities and around crucial infrastructure to reduce damage from natural phenomena.

CATL Develops Fastest EV Charging

The world's largest battery manufacturer, Chinese company CATL, has developed the fastest charging solution for electric vehicles. In just five minutes, it can provide enough energy for 520 km of travel compared to 400 km with BYD's top charger, and even in cold weather, the speed will not significantly decrease, as is usually the case. The technology will appear in at least 67 car models set to be released in 2025.

Bulgarian Startup Creates Smart Trash Can

The Bulgarian startup Ameru has created a 'smart' trash can that recognizes waste and sorts it into different compartments by itself. It operates using a built-in camera and an Nvidia chip. If an object is misidentified, it can be marked on the display, preventing the mistake from happening again in the future.

Mercedes Unveils Vision V

Mercedes has unveiled the Vision V minivan-starship, which will form the basis for future V-Class models. The interior features leather, wood, and silk upholstery, a retractable 65″ display, and tubular seats that convert into beds. Additionally, there is a projection on the windows, and the armrest turns into a chessboard. It was primarily designed for China, but for now, it's a prototype - a production version is promised for 2026.

China Launches 'Gold ATMs' by Kinghood

China has launched 'Gold ATMs' by Kinghood. The machine checks the weight and purity of gold in 3 minutes and melts the ingot in 30 minutes, transferring its value to an account. The price is automatically converted into world currencies - the ATM is connected to precious metals markets in real-time.

Polite Phrases Cost Millions

The phrases 'Thank you' and 'Please' that users write to ChatGPT cost its creators millions of dollars. Due to the need to cool servers, generating each 'You're welcome' response uses about 40-50 ml of water. According to the head of OpenAI, processing simple words of politeness is a significant expense, but these costs are justified since friendly interaction with AI is 'also important'.

Indian Teenagers Invent Salt-Powered Refrigerator

In India, three teenagers have invented a refrigerator that works on salt and does not require electricity. The gadget can be used to deliver vaccines to rural areas. The young talents are creating 200 such devices to donate them to 120 hospitals.

The American Film Academy announces new Oscar rules

The American Film Academy has announced new Oscar rules. Starting in 2026, jury members will be required to watch all nominated films before casting their votes. It is clarified that the use of artificial intelligence will not be a barrier to receiving a nomination, but the academy members will take into account the degree of human creative contribution to the film's creation. Also, next year will see the first award for achievements in casting.

Chinese Develop World's Fastest Memory

The Chinese have created the world's fastest memory - the PoX chip is 10,000 times faster than flash memory, requires no active cooling, and consumes almost no energy. Gadgets with this memory will turn on instantly. Essentially, PoX combines the speed of RAM with the reliability of flash. Information will no longer be shuffled between DRAM, SRAM, and storage devices - everything is processed directly. The 'bottleneck' issue simply disappears - this will pave the way for much cooler and highly productive laptops and smartphones.

China Launches World's First 10G Internet

China has launched the world's first 10G internet with speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. The broadband network was established in the country's main tech hub in the Xiong'an district of Hebei Province. The actual download speed was 9834 Mbit/s, and the upload speed was 1008 Mbit/s.

Two Crocodiles Ring the Doorbell

No, this is not the beginning of a joke, but an actual incident in Florida. A pair of alligators decided to drop by a house and did so very politely and even gently. The surveillance camera footage has already been viewed by over 27 million people in one day.

Space Debris Exceeds 6600 Tons

Scientists have calculated that the amount of space debris in orbit has exceeded 6600 tons. Currently, more than 1.2 million objects larger than a centimeter and over 100 million small fragments are orbiting the Earth, and at an altitude of 550 km, there is about as much debris as there are active satellites. To address the issue at least somewhat, Japan and Europe plan to launch cleanup satellites with grabbers by 2030.

Elon Musk Begins to Create His 'Legion' of Children

Elon Musk has begun creating his 'legion' of children. The billionaire is convinced that low birth rates will doom the planet and has decided to take matters into his own hands. He has decided to pay women a one-time $15 million and $100,000 annually for agreeing to give birth to his child.

Xiaomi Releases Powerful Vacuum Cleaner

Xiaomi has launched a powerful vacuum cleaner with lighting similar to Dyson but four times cheaper. Inside the Mijia Cordless Vacuum Cleaner 3 is a 'smart' 260 kW motor that automatically adjusts the power depending on the type of dirt. The vacuum cleaner is cordless, with a 2500 mAh battery - about 90 minutes of operation. In China, the device is priced at just 999 yuan.

Ryan Gosling to Star in New Star Wars Film

Ryan Gosling will play the lead role in the new Star Wars film - Star Wars: Starfighter, which will be released on May 28, 2027. The story will unfold five years after the ninth episode. The film is directed by a talented director - Shawn Levy ("Deadpool and Wolverine", "Free Guy", "Real Steel").

Marvel unveils second trailer of 'Fantastic Four: First Steps'

Marvel has unveiled the second trailer for the film 'Fantastic Four: First Steps', starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. The trailer showcases the headquarters of the Fantastic Four, the abilities of all characters, and the Silver Surfer played by Julia Garner. The world premiere is on July 25.

Stricter Regulations on Car Technology in China

Car brands in China are prohibited from using the words “smart” and “driverless,” as well as remote parking and summon functions, when no one is inside the vehicle. Additionally, autopilot updates now need to be coordinated with regulators, and if a person lets go of the steering wheel for more than one minute, the car must automatically stop. The rules were tightened following a fatal accident involving a Xiaomi SU7: The driver ignored the autopilot’s advice to watch the road and crashed into a wall at 116 km/h.

Scientists Find Signs of Life on Another Planet

K2-18b is located 124 light-years away from Earth. Cambridge scientists have discovered molecules of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in its atmosphere. The nuance is that they are only produced by living organisms, and on K2-18b, the quantity of these molecules is off the charts. Scientists claim that the likelihood of living organisms existing on the planet is 99.7%.

Penguin Accidentally Causes Helicopter Crash in South Africa

A penguin accidentally caused a helicopter crash in South Africa. It was in a box on the knees of a zoologist, a passenger on the helicopter. At some point, the box slipped and hit the control lever. No one was injured, but the official documents now state the cause of the crash as 'lack of secure containment of the penguin'.

Live Giant Squid Filmed in Antarctic Waters for the First Time

In the Antarctic waters, a live giant squid was filmed for the first time in history. The species was discovered 100 years ago, and until now, scientists had only found them dead in the stomachs of sperm whales or washed ashore. As of today, they are the heaviest invertebrates known to science: adult specimens can weigh up to 500 kg and reach seven meters in length.