Author: Steven Sahiounie

Here’s how to use Lensa, the chart-topping app that uses AI to transform your selfies into digital avatarsDecember 7, 2022 by Sofia PittKey PointsThe Lensa app uses artificial intelligence to turn selfies into different styles of artwork like anime and pop art.For a $3.99 service fee, you’ll receive 50 different avatars with a 7-day free trial.Some people are concerned the app could lead to data privacy issues, while artists have accused the company behind the app, Prisma Labs, of stealing artwork from digital creators.You may have noticed a new trend taking over your Instagram feed. Your friends are turning themselves…

Is a tech bootcamp to upskill right for you?December 21, 2022While “pivot,” “new normal” and “unprecedented” may have been some of the most annoying buzzwords to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no denying that the ability to change, move, and especially upskill, is now critical in today’s job market.Jobs are changing more quickly than people can meet business needs. With such rapid movement in tech, the World Economic Forum (WEF) projects that half of all jobs in the world will require a change in skill sets by 2027.That means a lot of new tech job openings will be…

US brings back free at-home Covid tests as part of winter planCovid cases, hospital visits and deaths have all begun to rise in recent weeksUS households are once again able to order free at-home Covid-19 tests, as the government attempts to limit the spread of the virus this winter.The White House said up to four rapid tests could be ordered from the government website CovidTests.gov.It announced that the test programme, which was paused in September, would be restarted on Thursday with deliveries beginning the week of 19 December.The decision comes as Covid infections rise ahead of the winter holidays.The Biden…

The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest 1.3 million people tested positive for coronavirus in the week to 5 December – up from 1.1 million the week before.Infection levels are now similar to where they were at the end of September.Covid rates by nation, according to the ONS, are:These figures are based on random tests of thousands of people in households across the UK, whether or not they have symptoms.The data was collected by the ONS for the week ending 5 December 2022 for England, Wales and Scotland, and the week ending 3 December 2022 for…

China has been experiencing a surge in Covid cases since many restrictions were eased earlier this month A top Chinese health official says he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter.The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month.The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases.However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing.The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday.Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has…

Bank of Spain trims 2023 growth projection to 1.3% from 1.4%In its quarterly macroeconomic projections, the Bank of Spain revised the 2023 growth forecast to 1.3% from 1.4% previously. The bank sees Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 2.7% in 2024 and 2.1% in 2025.In the fourth quarter of the year, the bank expects the economy to expand only by 0.1%. “Weak consumption is one of the main factors behind the modest GDP growth forecast for the fourth quarter,” the bank explained in its publication.Finally, the bank forecasts the annual HICP inflation to decline to 4.9% in 2023 and 3.9%…

A wave of price increases is pushing up the cost of enjoying Christmas in Japan this year.Soaring material costs and a weak yen have led to higher prices for cakes, fried chicken and “chanmery” nonalcoholic sparkling drinks.The average price of a 15-centimeter whole cake rose by ¥209, or about 5%, from the previous year to ¥4,040, according to a survey by Teikoku Databank.Prices for flour, the main ingredient of cakes, jumped by about 50% and those for strawberries and milk rose by some 10% each. Sugar and egg prices also went up.“Prices for some cakes climbed 10% or more,” said an official…

Hong Kong CNN — Beijing has vowed to go all out next year to save its Covid-hit economy by boosting consumption and loosening control over private industry, including the struggling tech and property sectors. The new pledge marks a big shift from leader Xi Jinping’s years-long effort to rein in private businesses, which were perceived as too powerful and “disorderly.”The world’s second biggest economy faces multiple challenges. Covid infections are surging in China after leaders unexpectedly eased its restrictive Covid policy earlier this month. At the same time, its exports have been hurt by a slump in global demand.Stabilizing economic growth is the top priority for 2023,…

The Bank of England has released images of the first pound notes to feature the portrait of King Charles IIIDesigns for future UK banknotes featuring the image of King Charles III were revealed by the Bank of England (BoE) on Tuesday. The regulator says the new notes will enter circulation by mid-2024.The portrait of the king will appear on the existing designs of all four polymer banknotes (£5, £10, £20, and £50) with no other changes. The king’s image will appear on the front of the banknotes, as well as in the see-through security window.“This is a significant moment, as…

The measure could increase demand and lead to supply shortages, the outlet reportsA price cap on gas that the EU agreed upon this week may trigger a deeper energy crisis and expose the bloc to supply shortages, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.The so-called “market correction mechanism” aimed at protecting EU businesses and households from “excessively high gas prices” could in reality encourage demand and lead to an even worse scarcity of gas supplies in Europe, analysts from Golden Sachs said in a report on Monday, cited by Bloomberg.Growing demand would put a squeeze on global supply and may force EU authorities…