{"id":810553,"date":"2024-12-07T10:13:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T16:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/07\/the-download-chinas-mineral-ban-and-three-technologies-to-watch\/"},"modified":"2024-12-07T10:13:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T16:13:58","slug":"the-download-chinas-mineral-ban-and-three-technologies-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/07\/the-download-chinas-mineral-ban-and-three-technologies-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: China\u2019s mineral ban, and three technologies to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

Plus: internet sleuths are hunting the man who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

What China\u2019s critical mineral ban means for the US<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

This week, China banned exports of several critical minerals to the US, marking the latest move in an escalating series of tit-for-tat trade restrictions between the world\u2019s two largest economies.<\/p>\n

In explicitly cutting off, rather than merely restricting, materials of strategic importance to the semiconductor, defense, and electric vehicle sectors, China has clearly crossed a new line in the long-simmering trade war.<\/p>\n

But at the same time, it selected minerals that won\u2019t cripple any industries\u2014which leaves China plenty of ammunition to inflict greater economic pain in response to any further trade restrictions that the incoming Trump administration may impose. Read more about what drove China\u2019s decision, how it affects climate tech and what\u2019s likely to happen next<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014James Temple<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is part of our MIT Technology Review Explains series. Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what\u2019s coming next. <\/em><\/strong>You can read more from the series here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

3 things that didn\u2019t make the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025 list<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Next month, MIT Technology Review will unveil the 2025 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies. Every year, our newsroom looks across the fields we cover for technologies that are having a true breakthrough moment. This annual package highlights the technologies that we think matter most right now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, here are three technologies that we considered including on the 2025 list but ultimately decided to leave off. And although these nominees didn\u2019t make the cut this year, they\u2019re still worth keeping an eye on. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n

\u2014Amy Nordrum<\/em><\/p>\n

The US Department of Defense is investing in deepfake detection<\/strong><\/p>\n

What\u2019s new: <\/strong>The US Department of Defense has invested $2.4 million over two years in deepfake detection technology from a startup called Hive AI. It\u2019s the first contract of its kind for the DOD\u2019s Defense Innovation Unit, which accelerates the adoption of new technologies for the US defense sector. Hive AI\u2019s models are capable of detecting AI-generated video, image, and audio content.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why?<\/strong> Although deepfakes have been around for the better part of a decade, generative AI has made them easier to create and more realistic-looking than ever before, which makes them ripe for abuse in disinformation campaigns or fraud. Defending against these sorts of threats is now crucial for national security. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Melissa Heikkil\u00e4<\/em><\/p>\n

Donating embryos for research is surprisingly complex<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

IVF is a success story for embryo research. But today, valuable embryos that could be used for research are being wasted, say researchers who gathered at a conference in central London earlier this week.<\/p>\n

The embryos studied in labs have usually been created for IVF but are no longer needed by the people whose cells created them. And there\u2019s a few reasons why embryos aren\u2019t making it into research labs. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Jessica Hamzelou<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is from the Checkup, our weekly health and biotech newsletter. <\/strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/a> to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Internet detectives are racing to identify UnitedHealthcare CEO\u2019s killer<\/strong>
It\u2019s yet another example of online sleuths inserting themselves into active investigations. (WP<\/a> $)
+ Similar firms are removing their leadership pages for fear of copycat attacks. <\/em>(404 Media<\/a>)
+ Online reaction to the killing demonstrates how hated health insurers are. <\/em>(NY Mag<\/a> $)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

2 NASA has delayed its return to the moon\u2014yet again<\/strong>
It\u2019s pushed back its planned mission from 2026 to mid-2027. (CNN<\/a>)
+ The agency has safety concerns and says its next test flight needs to be overhauled. <\/em>(WP<\/a> $)
+ What\u2019s next for NASA\u2019s giant moon rocket? <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

3 OpenAI is charging $200 a month for a ChatGPT Pro subscription\u00a0<\/strong>
Access to its o1 \u201creasoning\u201d model sure doesn\u2019t come cheap. (TechCrunch<\/a>)
+ Here\u2019s what you get for that hefty fee. <\/em>(Wired<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

4 Google Search is getting a makeover in 2025<\/strong>
And I\u2019d be prepared to bet a lot of money that AI is involved. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ AI search could break the web. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

5 Spotify Wrapped is a flop<\/strong>
It\u2019s oddly free of actual data, and contains bizarre summaries. (Rolling Stone<\/a> $)
+ \u201cPink Pilates Princess Roller Skating Pop,\u201d anyone? <\/em>(NYT<\/a> $)
+ Wrapped\u2019s AI-generated podcast makes for a bleak listening experience. <\/em>(Vox<\/a>)

6 What\u2019s next for China\u2019s manufacturing industry
<\/strong>As the threat of tariffs looms, native demand for its goods is weakening. (FT<\/a> $)
+ How Trump\u2019s tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 How to turn human poo into medicine <\/strong>????
<\/strong>The first microbiome-related product for cancer care is on the horizon. (Bloomberg<\/a> $)
+ How bugs and chemicals in your poo could give away exactly what you\u2019ve eaten.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

8 Meet the final devotees of the NFT
<\/strong>After the bubble bursts, only the true believers remain. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ I tried to buy an Olive Garden NFT. All I got was heartburn. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

9 Want to live sustainably? Retrofit your home<\/strong>
It reduces emissions and could save you money in the long run. (Knowable Magazine<\/a>)
+ Is this the most energy-efficient way to build homes? <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

10 Winter isn\u2019t what it used to be \u2603\ufe0f<\/strong>
Water, water everywhere. (The Atlantic<\/a> $)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the leaders of the industry should look at this and ask: \u2018Why does everybody hate us so much that when one of us gets killed in an assassination\u2026we\u2019re not hearing sympathy from the general public\u2014we\u2019re hearing scorn?\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014Matthew Holt, a healthcare commenter, reflects on what the online reaction to the killing of UnitedHealthcare\u2019s CEO reveals about the US public\u2019s attitude to health insurance firms, the Washington Post<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n

The big story<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is AI?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n

July 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

AI is sexy, AI is cool. AI is entrenching inequality, upending the job market, and wrecking education. The AI boom will boost the economy, the AI bubble is about to burst. AI will increase abundance and empower humanity to maximally flourish in the universe. AI will kill us all.<\/p>\n

What the hell is everybody talking about?<\/p>\n

Artificial intelligence is the hottest technology of our time. But what is it? It sounds like a stupid question, but it\u2019s one that\u2019s never been more urgent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re willing to buckle up and come for a ride, I can tell you why nobody really knows, why everybody seems to disagree, and why you\u2019re right to care about it. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Will Douglas Heaven<\/em><\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>tweet ’em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ This year produced some incredible songs. Here<\/a> are just a few of the best.
+ Would you consider growing your own toilet paper? Meet the brave souls<\/a> giving it a go. ????
+ There\u2019s only one Willem Dafoe<\/a>\u2014a master of the craft.
+ Congratulations are in order for Wisdom<\/a>, the world\u2019s oldest known wild bird who has just laid an egg at the ripe old age of 74. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Rhiannon Williams<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plus: internet sleuths are hunting the man who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download ,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. What China\u2019s critical mineral ban means for the US This week, China banned exports of several critical minerals to the US<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":810554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22042,24097,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-810553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chinas","category-download","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=810553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=810553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=810553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=810553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}