ESA Launches New Mission to Venus and Updates Microsoft Surface Devices

Fri 31st Jan, 2025

The European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed the initiation of a new mission aimed at exploring Venus, our neighboring planet. The ESA has awarded a contract worth EUR367 million to Thales Alenia Space for the development of a satellite that will carry six scientific instruments. This satellite is scheduled for launch in approximately three years and will orbit Venus for a duration of six years, equivalent to four Earth years.

The primary goal of the EnVision mission is to investigate the reasons behind the stark differences between Venus and Earth, despite their similar sizes. Venus, which is currently in solitude as it orbits the Sun, is set to become the focus of renewed scientific inquiry as Europe prepares to send its satellite.

In the tech sector, Microsoft has unveiled new versions of its Surface devices, specifically the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11. Initially, these models were exclusively available with ARM processors from Qualcomm since mid-2024. However, starting next month, they will also be equipped with Intel's Core Ultra 200V CPUs, known as Lunar Lake. While there are no visible differences between the Intel and Qualcomm versions, the pricing will reflect a notable increase, with Intel models costing several hundred euros more.

Despite the competition, Apple's latest financial report for the fourth quarter of 2024 has shown promising results. The company experienced a 4% increase in revenue year-over-year, alongside a 6% rise in operating income and a 7% increase in net profit. These figures surpassed analysts' expectations on Wall Street. However, Apple is facing challenges in the Chinese market, where revenue has unexpectedly declined by 11%.

In related news, the U.S. music licensing organization MLC is demanding higher royalties from Spotify, particularly for revenue generated from music subscriptions. Spotify has added audiobook usage hours to its paid subscriptions in an attempt to mitigate these costs, but the MLC has contested this move legally. A recent ruling from a U.S. District Court in Southern New York deemed Spotify's strategy permissible, marking a significant win for the streaming service.

Meanwhile, the German Federal Cartel Office has expressed dissatisfaction with the revised plan regarding the five-year extension of frequency usage rights for major telecom operators, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefónica (o2). Although the revisions are viewed as a step in the right direction, the authority believes they fall short in preserving fair competition. The Cartel Office is advocating for requirements that would compel frequency rights holders to accommodate new network operators and virtual service providers.

In other significant developments, concerns regarding safety have arisen following reports of fires linked to residential solar battery systems. Experts have reassured that these incidents are less frequent compared to fires in traditional combustion engine and electric vehicles. Furthermore, a potential asteroid threat has been identified, with organizations beginning to prepare for planetary defense measures in anticipation of a possible impact in 2032. Lastly, OpenAI's major investor, Microsoft, is investigating a Chinese AI model, DeepSeek R1, which has raised questions regarding compliance with data protection regulations.


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