AI translation unicorn DeepL launches New York tech hub to boost US expansion

DeepL, the Cologne-based AI translation unicorn, today launched its first tech hub in the US, in New York City. The move follows the company’s increasing growth and investment in the US market, where it already counts customers such as Coursera and Morningstar. DeepL opened its first US office, in Austin, Texas, earlier this year. The New York tech hub will focus on research, product innovation, and engineering, aiming to boost the startup’s expansion in the region. “[It] positions us at the centre of one of the largest talent pools in the market and brings us closer to our customers, including many Fortune 500 companies,” Jarek Kutylowski, CEO and founder of DeepL, said in a statement. Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders! The company is actively hiring for product and engineering positions, planning to double the hub’s size within the next 12 months. To further support growth in the US, DeepL has also appointed a new chief technology officer, Sebastian Enderlein, who previously led software development and engineering teams in Uber and Salesforce. Strategic focus Since its founding in 2017, DeepL has managed to successfully rival machine translation giants such as Google Translate. The company reached unicorn status in 2022, and rose to a $2bn valuation in May this year, following a $300mn investment round. One element behind DeepL’s significant growth is its focus on AI translation alone, supported by its proprietary neural network technology. “Translate isn’t the core business of Google — it’s one of the 100 side gigs” Kutylowski told TNW in a previous interview. “The same goes if you consider LLMs and the OpenAIs of this world as our competition; translation is only one thing of what they’re doing and their GPU is doing a tonne of different things. We’re focused on one particular area.” Another element is DeepL’s strategy to mainly target the B2B market, where it sees the biggest demand for its services. To date, the startup offers translation services for over 30 languages and has a customer network of more than 100,000 businesses. In the past few months, DeepL has launched a series of products for business users, including an AI writing assistant and an AI glossary generator. source

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Fax Not Going Through? Here Are 7 Tips to Make it Send

It’s frustrating when a fax won’t go through — the good news is, there are plenty of simple troubleshooting steps you can try to get things working. These tips can help you solve some of the most common transmission issues with fax machines, online fax services, or trying to send a fax from your computer. Why is my fax not going through? It could be a lot of things — that’s what someone who knows this stuff will tell you. There is going to be one set of problems if you are using a traditional fax machine that transmits documents across the Public Switched Telephone Network, and another completely different set of potential issues if you are trying to send a fax over the internet using an online fax service or business phone system. The good news is that some of the most common reasons a fax won’t go through are easy to solve. These fixes require near-zero technical ability, and if you do end up asking someone for help, they will be proud that you tried all these steps first. 7 simple tricks to get a fax to send Tip 1: Check the number Before you start trying to clean the machine or diagnose a network issue, take one last look at the number of the recipient for your fax. There’s a chance you misheard it or copied the wrong number. There’s a chance that the organization you are trying has a new fax number and they have yet to update their website information. That happens. And if this turns out to be the reason that your fax won’t send, count yourself lucky. Usually, when you enter the wrong number, the fax is just going to go to that number. Whatever information you were trying to fax would then be with a complete stranger. A fax won’t send if a number is not in service, so double-check that the number is correct, and reach out to the organization for clarification if it still doesn’t work. Tip 2: Check the settings This is applicable to both online fax services and analog fax machines, as configuration issues are very common reasons for faxes of all kinds not to go through. If you’re not getting a confirmation page after a fax looks to be sent, or if the fax machine or service won’t initiate sending in the first place, this is likely the issue. If you’re using an online fax service, make sure you’ve configured the service properly. Most services walk you through the setup process, but you can always go back and restart. With an analog fax machine, make sure it’s set up according to the manual for your particular model. If you don’t have the manual, look for one online, as most manufacturers publish PDFs for easy reference. Tip 3: Clean the fax machine If you’re working with an analog fax machine, this is far and away the most common reason that faxes don’t send right. Fax machines are complex pieces of equipment with dozens of moving parts. If something goes wrong with any of them, it could cause an issue. Using a fax machine that has accumulated dust and grime can interfere with its operation, so if you’re hearing clicks or grinding sounds — or if you’re experiencing frequent paper jams — you’ve probably got a cleanliness issue. Start by checking the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), which is the roller that feeds paper through the machine. Also inspect the corona wire, which draws the ink toner off the drum and onto the paper. Both of these parts need cleaning and routine maintenance to keep your fax machine functioning properly. If the ADF, corona wire, or other mechanical parts appear dirty or broken upon inspection, turn off the fax machine and disconnect the power cord from the power supply before cleaning or fixing, if possible. You may need to replace these parts, or have a specialist out to service the machine. Tip 4: Check your internet connection A fax won’t send if the connection is unstable or unusable, so if it seems like everything is working fine, but the fax just won’t send, check your phone or internet connection. If you’re using an analog fax machine, check all the cables and make sure they’re plugged in properly. If you don’t hear a dial tone when you pick up the phone on the fax machine, chances are something’s wrong with the phone cord or your phone service. If you’re using an online fax service or an analog fax machine with an ATA, double-check your network. If you’re having issues with your internet, the fax won’t be able to send, so make sure your router is set up and your internet is working properly. It doesn’t have to be super fast to send a fax; it just has to be showing up with a reliable signal. Tip 5: Make sure the other side doesn’t have voicemail on If the person you’re trying to send a fax to has their voicemail turned on, your fax might not go through. This is especially common if you’re trying to send a fax machine to a person or business that uses the same phone line for phone calls and for faxes, so if the fax is not showing up even though it seems to be going through fine on your side, have them check this out. Common culprits are voicemail settings, answering machines, and sometimes modems. Basically, if anything can get to the phone before the fax machine does, the fax can’t send — and this includes humans answering the phone, so make sure the other side knows you’re sending a fax and knows not to pick up the phone. If you’re using an analog fax machine, make sure the person on the other end doesn’t have call waiting or anonymous call screening set up on their end. Extra services like this can cause the fax to be rejected on their end, mostly in cases

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Norwegian startup Muybridge emerges from stealth to ‘reinvent’ the camera

Deep tech startup Mybridge has emerged from the shadows with an €8mn investment to fuel its objective — to revolutionise the way we take photos. Founded by Håkon Espeland and Anders Tomren in 2020, Muybridge has spent the last four years developing real-time computer vision technology that uses software to replace most of the moving parts found in traditional cameras. “Muybridge is one of those rare companies that has managed to combine enabling technologies in a way that opens a new paradigm,” said Filip Petersson, partner at Scandinavian VC Fairpoint Capital, the lead investor in the funding round.   Muybridge’s co-founder and product owner Anders Tomren (left), co-founder and CEO, Håkon Espeland and CCO Berk Cinar. Credit: Muybridge While cameras and smartphones already enhance images using software-based techniques like computational photography, the physical components involved in capturing the scene — like lenses or sensors — still greatly limit the end result. Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders! Instead of relying on a fixed camera system, Muybridge uses multiple small sensors and software to create “virtual cameras” that can simulate different perspectives, angles, and movements without needing physical changes in the device. This gives Muybridge’s system much greater flexibility in capturing and processing images in real time.  “Think of the bullet time scene in The Matrix, where the actor was surrounded by multiple cameras,” Muybridge’s CEO and fo-founder, Håkon Espeland, told TNW. “Now, just imagine hundreds or thousands of them — each as small as a smartphone camera — lined up, feeding visuals into software. “Now imagine that setup within the walls of your video conferencing room around a sports stadium, or even within a tennis court net or between football goal posts, with multiple cameras and sensors pushing imagery from new and never seen before angles, while state of the art software combines those multiple feeds into one video feed ready for broadcast — that’s revolutionary.” Muybridge is now gearing up to break out from the lab and into industries like sports, broadcasting, surveillance, and enterprise communications. The company, which employs 30 people, also plans to scale its workforce.  Alongside Fairpoint Capital, the funding round was joined by existing investors RunwayFBU, Idekapita, Vikingstad Invest, and several angels. For Muybridge it marks a pivotal moment in its mission to transform the camera industry.    source

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Photo App Says BIPA Ignorance Warrants Insurance Coverage

The company behind a website and app that allow families to view photos of their children at summer camp told an Illinois federal judge it had no idea about the state’s biometric privacy law, and thus couldn’t have knowingly violated it, arguing that means insurers cannot shirk their responsibility to defend it in an underlying suit. source

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From Bookmarks to Posts—Stacks Keeps Your Digital Life Organized

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to the Stacks Be Productive Plan for just $29.99 (reg. $89) — organize your notes, bookmarks, and files in one powerful platform For busy professionals, content creators, and teams managing an overwhelming amount of digital information, having a centralized platform to capture, organize, and collaborate can make a significant difference in productivity. That’s where Stacks Be Productive Plan can be of use. Stacks is now available for a lifetime subscription for just $29.99 (reg. $89). It is an all-in-one solution for eliminating information overload and streamlining your workflow. Features Stacks combines note-taking, bookmarking, and file storage into one smart workspace designed to help you manage everything from browser bookmarks to saved posts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. It also supports seamless integrations with tools like Google Drive and Notion (coming soon), allowing you to centralize all your work and digital discoveries in one place. Whether working solo or collaborating with colleagues, Stacks helps you find, share, and organize information quickly and easily. And with features like AI-enhanced search and community knowledge repositories, you can also tap into collective wisdom or leverage intelligent suggestions to boost your productivity. Imagine having a workspace where all your browser bookmarks, important notes, and digital content are at your fingertips—no more digging through apps or tabs to find that one important link. With Stacks, you can highlight key information, comment on web pages, tag team members for feedback, and access your content on any webpage using the browser co-pilot feature. Whether managing projects, researching, or working remotely, Stacks simplifies your workflow by allowing you to store and retrieve information in multiple formats — text, video, images, and more — all in one easy-to-use platform. Take a look to see how this platform can streamline your digital life. Lifetime access to the Stacks Be Productive Plan is just $29.99 (reg. $89) for a limited time. Prices and availability subject to change. source

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Singapore unveils AI system guidelines, emphasizing secure-by-design

“To reap the benefits of AI, users must have confidence that the AI will behave as designed, and outcomes are safe and secure,” the CSA said in the guide. “However, in addition to safety risks, AI systems can be vulnerable to adversarial attacks, where malicious actors intentionally manipulate or deceive the AI system.” The guidelines don’t focus on AI safety or broader issues commonly associated with AI, such as fairness, transparency, or inclusion, nor do they tackle cybersecurity risks introduced by AI systems. While some recommended actions may overlap with these areas, the guidelines also don’t specifically address the misuse of AI in cyberattacks, such as AI-enabled malware, or threats like misinformation, disinformation, and deepfakes, the CSA said. source

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Apple-Google Pact Plaintiff Stuck With 9th Circ. Appeal

By Joyce Hanson ( October 25, 2024, 9:45 PM EDT) — A Ninth Circuit panel has refused to let a training school send its case accusing Google of paying Apple to refrain from developing its own search engine back to district court in light of a recent D.C. federal judge’s decision that Google monopolizes the search market…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

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Autoscriber teams up with Microsoft to scale ambient clinical intelligence software

Microsoft has partnered with medical note taking software startup Autoscriber to further scale the latter’s software across the EMEA region. The company’s speech-based AI tool frees up large chunks of doctors’ time and allows them to stay focused on their patients during consults. Based out of the Netherlands and South Africa, Autoscriber offers an ambient clinical intelligence (ACI) product that automatically generates summaries from real-time doctor-patient conversations and fills out an Electronic Health Record (EHR). This reduces the time doctors need to spend on admin by 20% to 50%. In actual time, this equals approximately five minutes per consultation. In addition, easing administrative burdens can help reduce burnout among medical personnel. Autoscriber also says its ACI tool results in more complete notes for the healthcare system. The AI engine supports multiple languages including English, Dutch, German, Norwegian, French, Spanish, and Afrikaans. The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! “Our mission is to enable human-centric and data-driven healthcare, giving doctors time and attention for better quality patient care,” said co-founder and CEO, Jacqueline Kazmaier. “Autoscriber has been rolled out across multiple departments at major hospitals, as well as primary care and psychology practices, and we are already seeing these benefits take shape”. Microsoft has now chosen to support Autoscriber as the solution provider for ambient clinical intelligence in the EMEA region. The startup already has ongoing partnerships and integrations with established electronic health record providers but says that this strategic collaboration with Microsoft is of major importance in order to scale up efficiently within and across clients. The tech giant will be actively supplying Autoscriber with special partnership resources to further commercialise its product. It will also provide dedicated compute resources to help Autoscriber roll out the product at scale. “The models we run to process the audio of doctor-patient interactions and generate structured clinical encounter notes quickly become GPU-intensive,” said co-founder and CTO Koen Bonenkamp. “With the worldwide shortage of GPUs, the support of Microsoft to scale our architecture and reserve technical capacity is critical to our ability to offer our solution to hundreds of clinicians at the same time at a single healthcare provider.” Microsoft offers dedicated cloud services for healthcare providers. One of the four key outcomes mentioned as part of the services is the use of AI-enabled tools that enhance productivity to allow clinicians to focus on high-value work. “As Microsoft we aim to service our healthcare clients in the best way possible and to support our clients with the optimisation of their workflow and services,” said Ralph Haupter, President of Microsoft EMEA, adding that the administrative burden of health workers and the lack of structured and interoperable data are known problems. Jacqueline Kazmaier founded Autoscriber with Koen Bonenkamp in 2021 out of a prior collaboration with Leiden University Medical Centre. With the backing of one of the biggest forces in tech in the world, the company now intends to become the EMEA market leader in the field of ambient clinical intelligence in the next 12 months. source

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DeepMind’s Talker-Reasoner framework brings System 2 thinking to AI agents

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More AI agents must solve a host of tasks that require different speeds and levels of reasoning and planning capabilities. Ideally, an agent should know when to use its direct memory and when to use more complex reasoning capabilities. However, designing agentic systems that can properly handle tasks based on their requirements remains a challenge. In a new paper, researchers at Google DeepMind introduce Talker-Reasoner, an agentic framework inspired by the “two systems” model of human cognition. This framework enables AI agents to find the right balance between different types of reasoning and provide a more fluid user experience. System 1, System 2 thinking in humans and AI The two-systems theory, first introduced by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, suggests that human thought is driven by two distinct systems. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and automatic. It governs our snap judgments, such as reacting to sudden events or recognizing familiar patterns. System 2, in contrast, is slow, deliberate, and analytical. It enables complex problem-solving, planning, and reasoning.   While often treated as separate, these systems interact continuously. System 1 generates impressions, intuitions, and intentions. System 2 evaluates these suggestions and, if endorsed, integrates them into explicit beliefs and deliberate choices. This interplay allows us to seamlessly navigate a wide range of situations, from everyday routines to challenging problems. Current AI agents mostly operate in a System 1 mode. They excel at pattern recognition, quick reactions, and repetitive tasks. However, they often fall short in scenarios requiring multi-step planning, complex reasoning, and strategic decision-making—the hallmarks of System 2 thinking. Talker-Reasoner framework Talker-Reasoner framework (source: arXiv) The Talker-Reasoner framework proposed by DeepMind aims to equip AI agents with both System 1 and System 2 capabilities. It divides the agent into two distinct modules: the Talker and the Reasoner. The Talker is the fast, intuitive component analogous to System 1. It handles real-time interactions with the user and the environment. It perceives observations, interprets language, retrieves information from memory, and generates conversational responses. The Talker agent usually uses the in-context learning (ICL) abilities of large language models (LLMs) to perform these functions. The Reasoner embodies the slow, deliberative nature of System 2. It performs complex reasoning and planning. It is primed to perform specific tasks and interacts with tools and external data sources to augment its knowledge and make informed decisions. It also updates the agent’s beliefs as it gathers new information. These beliefs drive future decisions and serve as the memory that the Talker uses in its conversations.  “The Talker agent focuses on generating natural and coherent conversations with the user and interacts with the environment, while the Reasoner agent focuses on performing multi-step planning, reasoning, and forming beliefs, grounded in the environment information provided by the Talker,” the researchers write. The two modules interact primarily through a shared memory system. The Reasoner updates the memory with its latest beliefs and reasoning results, while the Talker retrieves this information to guide its interactions. This asynchronous communication allows the Talker to maintain a continuous flow of conversation, even as the Reasoner carries out its more time-consuming computations in the background. “This is analogous to [the] behavioral science dual-system approach, with System 1 always being on while System 2 operates at a fraction of its capacity,” the researchers write. “Similarly, the Talker is always on and interacting with the environment, while the Reasoner updates beliefs informing the Talker only when the Talker waits for it, or can read it from memory.” Detailed structure of Talker-Reasoner framework (source: arXiv) Talker-Reasoner for AI coaching The researchers tested their framework in a sleep coaching application. The AI coach interacts with users through natural language, providing personalized guidance and support for improving sleep habits. This application requires a combination of quick, empathetic conversation and deliberate, knowledge-based reasoning. The Talker component of the sleep coach handles the conversational aspect, providing empathetic responses and guiding the user through different phases of the coaching process. The Reasoner maintains a belief state about the user’s sleep concerns, goals, habits, and environment. It uses this information to generate personalized recommendations and multi-step plans. The same framework could be applied to other applications, such as customer service and personalized education. The DeepMind researchers outline several directions for future research. One area of focus is optimizing the interaction between the Talker and the Reasoner. Ideally, the Talker should automatically determine when a query requires the Reasoner’s intervention and when it can handle the situation independently. This would minimize unnecessary computations and improve overall efficiency. Another direction involves extending the framework to incorporate multiple Reasoners, each specializing in different types of reasoning or knowledge domains. This would allow the agent to tackle more complex tasks and provide more comprehensive assistance. source

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