1.7 billion adults lack access to formal banking, about 31% of all adults, and 55% of the unbanked are women. BitPesa, a crypto-powered remittance firm in sub-Saharan Africa, has cut transfer fees by up to 90% compared with traditional methods. In Kenya, the Red Cross and Grassroots Economics launched a blockchain-backed community currency, enabling 25…
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SpaceX’s Starlink network surpassed 7,000 satellites in orbit by June 2025 after a record double launch on June 28, deploying dozens of new satellites from Florida and California within 13 hours. Starlink generated $11.8 billion in revenue in 2024, overtaking its launch business for the first time. In June 2025 India granted Starlink a license…
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Telefónica Tech’s AI and Data Director predicts AI agents will automate internal processes and boost productivity, signaling a transformative, long-term impact on organizations. US tech giants have laid off nearly 94,000 IT workers to reallocate resources for AI development, with Microsoft planning 15,000 layoffs by 2025. <liMIT research found that using ChatGPT reduces brain activity…
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The EU’s AI Act is set to take effect in mid-2026, imposing strict, risk-based regulations and market access requirements. A 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation was removed from a major US Congressional bill, underscoring regulatory contention. The US and China are locked in a high-stakes AI race, with the US investing about $700 billion…
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Microsoft laid off thousands of employees in 2025 to redirect $80 billion toward AI development. xAI plans data centers powered by 1,000,000 Nvidia GPUs. Ford CEO Jim Farley warns AI could replace up to half of all white-collar jobs. MASAI reduces radiologist workload by 44% and achieves 96% diagnostic accuracy. Microsoft o3 model solves over…
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Starlink uses a low Earth orbit constellation with about 7,600 satellites in orbit as of mid-2025 (aiming for 12,000+), delivering 50–250 Mbps downloads with 20–50 ms latency and no hard data caps on standard plans (heavy users may be throttled during congestion). HughesNet operates GEO satellites (EchoStar Jupiter fleet, including Jupiter 3) offering up to…
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Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that AI will concretely replace half of US white-collar workers. The IMF estimates up to 60% of jobs in advanced economies may be directly affected by AI. Jiahui Yu, co-creator of GPT-4.1 and GPT-4o, moved from OpenAI to Meta in a $100 million deal to lead Meta Superintelligence Labs. Nvidia…
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In mid-June 2025, Waymo applied for a New York City permit to begin autonomous car tests with safety drivers, potentially making NYC’s first AV pilot if approved. As of June 2025, Waymo operates about 1,500 self-driving vehicles and handles over 250,000 rides per week across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. In late June…
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On July 3, 2025, Ukraine signed a co-production deal with U.S. firm Swift Beat to manufacture hundreds of thousands of drones in 2025, including interceptor, reconnaissance, and attack UAVs. DroneShield secured a $61.6 million contract to supply handheld drone detectors and jammers to a European military, with deliveries in Q3 2025 and plans for a…
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Starlink has over 4.6 million users and a constellation of nearly 7,900 satellites in orbit as of mid-2025. The EU Space Act would unify space regulation with debris mitigation, cybersecurity, and environmental standards, with existing Starlink satellites exempt through 2030 but future deployments subject to the Act. France’s SNCF plans to deploy satellite internet on…
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