“For the first time, scientists have successfully produced full-length spider silk fibers using genetically modified silkworms. With high strength and toughness, this silk has the potential to provide a scalable, sustainable and better-quality alternative to current synthetic fibers like nylon.”
From New Atlas.
“Nowhere in the country have rents declined as much as they have in Austin — now 22% off the peak reached in August 2023, according to Redfin. The median asking rent is $1,399 per month, down $400 in less than three years.
Developers dumped almost 50,000 rental units on the city in 2023 and 2024, according to Fannie Mae data. That represented a 14% increase in the supply, the biggest on a percentage basis for any major US metro area.”
From Bloomberg.
World Economic Forum | Financial Market Development
“Indonesia is at a pivotal moment in its digital transformation. With over 280 million people spread across 17,504 islands and over 180 million smartphones, connectivity has never been higher.
Internet penetration approached 79% in 2024, reflecting the nation’s swift embrace of online platforms. Only a decade ago, nearly half of Indonesia’s adult population remained unbanked. Thanks to rapid advancements in financial technology, the financial inclusion index has climbed to almost 84%. Had AI been as pervasive 10 years ago, this transformation could have been even faster.
Though digital adoption is a global trend, Indonesia’s trajectory is distinct, shaped by supportive government policies, a vibrant fintech sector and a surging digital economy.
Over the past decade, these factors have converged to accelerate financial inclusion – from 49% in 2014 to around 83% in 2023. This remarkable leap is equivalent to adding the population of Switzerland seven times to Indonesia’s banking system.”
From World Economic Forum.
“Waymo is logging more than 200,000 paid robotaxi rides every week, according to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who shared the stat about the tech giant’s subsidiary on X.
Waymo commercially operates robotaxis in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
The 200,000-weekly trips milestone is notable for a company that was providing only 10,000 rides a week two years ago. As Pichai notes, the number of weekly paid rides has grown 20-fold in the past two years. In August, the company was providing 100,000 weekly paid robotaxi rides.
According to Waymo, the company’s self-driving system drives more than 1 million miles each week.”
From TechCrunch.
“Vietnam’s parliament formally approved a plan for the biggest government overhaul in decades, a move that will slash thousands of jobs and radically streamline a bloated bureaucracy in an effort to pursue ambitious growth targets.
The vote was passed Tuesday at an extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly in Hanoi.
An estimated 100,000 civil servants will be affected as the government targets a roughly 20% reduction in the size of ministries, government agencies and workforce in the biggest restructuring since Vietnam adopted pro-market reforms in the 1980s.
Under the plan, five ministries are being abolished. Others will be merged, such as finance with planning and investment. Outlets for information are being dramatically curbed with many state-run TV channels being shut down, and multiple newspapers and magazines scrapped.”
From Bloomberg.
