
Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment
A Belfast-based software supply chain management firm has announced an £8.8m investment. Cloudsmith will use the funding to grow operations for its global client base, including leading software companies such as Shopify, PagerDuty, Font Awesome, HP and EnterpriseDB. The funding, led by MMC Ventures, will bolster the firm’s ability to deliver a software supply chain platform. Cloudsmith provides organisations with a single source for managing all their software assets, including datasets required to build the AI products of the future. Recently appointed chief executive officer Glenn Weinstein said the industry demand for software supply chain solutions is surging. He said: “Despite economic headwinds and a slow venture capital funding market, this announcement reaffirms the confidence our investors have in Cloudsmith. “We’ve been successfully disrupting and reinventing the software supply chain market. “This fresh infusion of capital also comes as industry demand for secure and reliable software supply chain solutions is surging. “Cybersecurity attacks of increasing severity have become more frequent, and threaten reputational damage, data exfiltration and IP theft.” The firm’s software supply chain management platform is designed to meet the needs of software teams building for internal use or distributing software packages to the market. It provides a suite of artefact storage, management and distribution solutions, allowing developers and companies to streamline and control their software supply chain, improve collaboration and accelerate product delivery. Belfast is a leading tech hub with a thriving digital economy Glenn Weinstein Mr Weinstein added: “This funding will be used to enhance Cloudsmith’s unique cloud-native software supply chain solution, which is faster, more secure and of higher value than the legacy on-premises vendors we’re displacing. “Cloudsmith is a great choice for companies with software teams distributed in remote locations, and while the US is our largest market, we continue to see increased demand from a range of countries including the UK, Germany and Australia.” He emphasised the strategic importance of its Belfast headquarters which benefits from access to both UK and EU markets. “Belfast is a leading tech hub with a thriving digital economy. “We see this renewed round of investment as a doubling down on Cloudsmith’s commitment to this vibrant city.” Read More Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows No ‘smoking gun’ linking mental health harm and the internet – study UK and South Korea issue warning over North Korea-linked cyber attacks Data protection watchdog warns websites over cookie consent alerts Employee data leaked during British Library cyber attack Half of adults who chat online with strangers do not check age – poll
2023-11-28 08:22

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Scientists release findings from major study into internet and mental health – with surprising conclusion
There is no clear link between mobile phones and the internet and a negative impact on mental wellbeing, the authors of a major new study have found. Researchers took data on two million people aged between 15 and 89, from 168 countries. While they found that negative and positive experiences had both increased, they found little evidence that was the result of the prevalence of the internet. The results from the major study, led by the Oxford Internet Institute, contradict widespread speculation that the internet – and especially its widespread availability through mobile devices – has damaged mental wellbeing. The researchers said that if the link between internet use and poor health were as universal and robust as many think, they would have found it. However, the study did not look at social media use, and although the data included some young people, the researchers did not analyse how long people spent online. Professor Andrew Przybylski, of the Oxford Internet Institute and Assistant Professor Matti Vuorre, Tilburg University and Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute, carried out the research into home and mobile broadband use. Prof Przybylski, said: “We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and wellbeing and we didn’t find it.” He added: “The popular idea that the internet and mobile phones have a blanket negative effect on wellbeing and mental health is not likely to be accurate. “It is indeed possible that there are smaller and more important things going on, but any sweeping claims about the negative impact of the internet globally should be treated with a very high level of scepticism.” Looking at the results by age group and gender did not reveal any specific patterns among internet users, including women and young girls. Instead, the study, which looked at data for the past two decades, found that for the average country, life satisfaction increased more for females over the period. Data from the United Kingdom was included in the study, but the researchers say there was nothing distinctive about the UK compared with other countries. Although the study included a lot of information, the researchers say technology companies need to provide more data, if there is to be conclusive evidence of the impacts of internetuse. They explain: “Research on the effects of internet technologies is stalled because the data most urgently needed are collected and held behind closed doors by technology companies and online platforms. “It is crucial to study, in more detail and with more transparency from all stakeholders, data on individual adoption of and engagement with internet-based technologies. “These data exist and are continuously analysed by global technology firms for marketing and product improvement but unfortunately are not accessible for independent research.” For the study, published in the Clinical Psychological Science journal, the researchers looked at data on wellbeing and mental health against a country’s internet users and mobile broadband subscriptions and use, to see if internet adoption predicted psychological wellbeing. In the second study they used data on rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm from 2000-2019 in some 200 countries. Wellbeing was assessed using data from face-to-face and phone surveys by local interviewers, and mental health was assessed using statistical estimates of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and self-harm in some 200 countries from 2000 to 2019. Read More Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment No ‘smoking gun’ linking mental health harm and the internet – study Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment No ‘smoking gun’ linking mental health harm and the internet – study Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows
2023-11-28 08:17

No ‘smoking gun’ linking mental health harm and the internet – study
The internet and mobile phones may not have a “blanket negative effect” on wellbeing and mental health, researchers say. A large international study used data from two million people aged 15 to 89 in 168 countries, and found smaller associations than would be expected if the internet were causing widespread psychological harm. The researchers say that if the link between internet use and poor health were as universal and robust as many think they would have found it. We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and wellbeing and we didn’t find it Professor Andrew Przybylski, Oxford Internet Institute However, the study did not look at social media use, and although the data included some young people, the researchers did not analyse how long people spent online. Professor Andrew Przybylski, of the Oxford Internet Institute, and Assistant Professor Matti Vuorre, Tilburg University, and Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute, carried out the research into home and mobile broadband use. Prof Przybylski said: “We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and wellbeing and we didn’t find it.” He added: “The popular idea that the internet and mobile phones have a blanket negative effect on wellbeing and mental health is not likely to be accurate. “It is indeed possible that there are smaller and more important things going on, but any sweeping claims about the negative impact of the internet globally should be treated with a very high level of scepticism.” Looking at the results by age group and gender did not reveal any specific patterns among internet users, including women and young girls. Instead, the study, which looked at data for the past two decades, found that for the average country, life satisfaction increased more for females over the period. Data from the United Kingdom was included in the study, but the researchers say there was nothing distinctive about the UK compared with other countries. Although the study included a lot of information, the researchers say technology companies need to provide more data, if there is to be conclusive evidence of the impacts of internet use. They explain: “Research on the effects of internet technologies is stalled because the data most urgently needed are collected and held behind closed doors by technology companies and online platforms. “It is crucial to study, in more detail and with more transparency from all stakeholders, data on individual adoption of and engagement with internet-based technologies. “These data exist and are continuously analysed by global technology firms for marketing and product improvement but unfortunately are not accessible for independent research.” For the study, published in the Clinical Psychological Science journal, the researchers looked at data on wellbeing and mental health against a country’s internet users and mobile broadband subscriptions and use, to see if internet adoption predicted psychological wellbeing. In the second study they used data on rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm from 2000-2019 in some 200 countries. Wellbeing was assessed using data from face-to-face and phone surveys by local interviewers, and mental health was assessed using statistical estimates of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and self-harm in some 200 countries from 2000 to 2019. Read More Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment UK and South Korea issue warning over North Korea-linked cyber attacks Data protection watchdog warns websites over cookie consent alerts Employee data leaked during British Library cyber attack Half of adults who chat online with strangers do not check age – poll
2023-11-28 08:16

Binance’s Zhao Can’t Return to UAE for Now, US Judge Says
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2023-11-28 07:49

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Paris Hilton opens up about welcoming ‘angel’ baby London: ‘I’m loving my mom era’
Paris Hilton has shared new details about welcoming her second child with husband Carter Reum: daughter London. The 42-year-old DJ joined Today co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on 27 November, where she discussed becoming a mother of two to 10 month-old son Phoenix Barron and her newborn daughter, London. “She is just a little angel and my life just feels so complete with my little baby boy and my baby girl,” Hilton said. “We’re just over the moon.” When asked how her journey to motherhood compares to previous chapters of her life, the reality TV star candidly admitted: “I’m loving my mom era.” “I feel just so at peace, so happy, so grateful for my husband and this beautiful family and life that we’re building together,” Hilton added. “I couldn’t imagine anything else. I’m just over the moon with everything.” The socialite shared how her 10-month-old son has adjusted to becoming a big brother. While Bush Hager noted that Hilton’s children “are so close in age”, the Simple Life alum maintained that Phoenix understands there’s a new baby in the family. “I’m like: ‘This is your baby sister, London,’” she explained. “He’s just so gentle and sweet, and he’ll put his hand out and rub her arm or face.” Hilton - who has previously been open about the alleged abuse she experienced as a teen at the Provo Canyon School in Utah - went on to reveal how the lessons she’s learned throughout the years will impact how she raises her children. “Now being a mom and how protective you are, I’m just always thinking about one day when my kids are teenagers - how that’s a scary thing,” she said. Hilton added that she’s “always going to be there” for her children and will teach them how to deal with unwanted feelings. “Just not holding on to shame, that shouldn’t be on you. It should be on the people who hurt you,” the Paris: The Memoir author said. “The number one rule in our house is just to have kind human beings, so that’s who we’re raising them to be.” Hilton and Reum - who have been married since November 2021 - surprised the world last week when they announced the arrival of their second child together via surrogate. For the big announcement, the model posted a photo of a pink pajama set with the name “London” inscribed on the collared top. “Thankful for my baby girl,” she captioned the post. Much like the birth of her son Phoenix, Hilton waited until her baby girl was born to share her arrival with not only the world, but also her family. “The only people who knew were obviously Carter, my mom, and my sister. But my parents didn’t know when it was happening, they just knew that it was going to happen,” Hilton said on Today. “It was the best Thanksgiving surprise ever for everybody.” When Phoenix was born in January this year, the TV personality didn’t inform her family their surrogate gave birth until one week later. “Not even my mom, my sister, my best friend knew until he was over a week old,” Hilton explained on her iHeartRadio podcast, This Is Paris. “It was really nice to have that with Carter, be our own journey together. I just feel like my life has been so public, and I’ve never really had anything be just mine.” In a preview clip for her Peacock reality TV series, Paris in Love, Hilton’s venture capitalist husband shared his thoughts on keeping the birth of their first baby a secret. “I don’t think it ever hit me we weren’t going to tell anyone, that was really Paris,” Reum said in the teaser. “My initial inclination was to tell my family and get everyone excited, hers was to hold the secret.” However, her husband admitted that he understood why Hilton was apprehensive about sharing Phoenix’s expected delivery date. “But she’s had to go through life having to protect herself, so I was gonna do everything I could to be a good teammate,” Reum added.
2023-11-28 06:56

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