
Private Japanese lunar lander heads toward a touchdown in the moon's far north
A private lunar lander from Japan is closing in on the moon , aiming for a touchdown in the unexplored far north with a mini rover.
The moon landing attempt by Tokyo-based company ispace on Friday Japan time is the latest entry in the rapidly expanding commercial lunar rush.
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Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Trump announces China will restart rare earth mineral shipments to US after productive call
President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to start sending rare earth minerals to the U.S. after halting the shipments in April. Trump held a gaggle on the presidential jet Friday evening, and one reporter asked him just before landing if Xi had agreed to restart the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets to the U.S. "Yes, he did," Trump replied. "We're very far advanced on the China deal." The news comes about a month and a half after China effectively halted exports of seven precious minerals, vital for assembling cars, robotics and defense systems, to the U.S. in a direct strike on America's manufacturing and defense supply chain. Overseas deliveries of magnets stopped April 4, when new licensing rules took effect, according to The New York Times. Companies are only allowed to export rare earth materials if they obtain special export licenses, which take 45 days to receive. The halt also threatened to undercut Trump's tariff strategy because China produces about 60% of the world's critical mineral supply and processes even more, up to 90%. China's mineral halt to the U.S. Defense Department came after Beijing had already imposed sanctions on multiple U.S. military contractors late last year, according to Reuters. Chinese entities were prohibited from engaging or cooperating with them in response to an arms sale to Taiwan, the outlet reported. Trump and Xi had a lengthy call Thursday amid economic and national security friction regarding trade between the U.S. and China. "I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal," Trump said Thursday in a Truth Social post. "The call lasted approximately one and a half hours and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries." Trump said the conversation focused mostly on trade. The call came nearly a week after Trump condemned China for violating an initial trade agreement that the U.S. and China hashed out in May and a day after Trump said Xi was "extremely hard to make a deal with" in a Truth Social post.


Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Singapore Kids Grapple With the Tyranny of Tutoring
Each week we'll bring you insights into one of Asia's most dynamic economies. If you haven't yet, please sign up here. This week, Audrey Wan reminisces about her education in Singapore and looks a the burden of private tutoring, while Gabrielle Ng examines the furor over an eyewatering bid for a medical clinic lease.

Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Japanese AI Unicorn Notta Enters Otter AI's Market with Innovative Smart Voice Recorder
Notta Bets Big on AI Agent-Powered Voice Recorder as Hardware-SaaS Convergence Accelerates TOKYO, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As OpenAI's ChatGPT dominates enterprise AI adoption and Google Gemini reshapes how businesses think about AI assistants, Japanese unicorn Notta announced its ambitious push into the U.S. hardware market with the Notta Memo AI Voice Recorder. From Tokyo to Silicon Valley: The Underdog Story Notta's journey reads like a classic tech disruption playbook, albeit with a Japanese twist. Since launching in 2020, the company has quietly built a formidable AI transcription empire, amassing over 10 million users globally and signing up 4,000 enterprise customers. The real validation? A staggering 68% of Japan's Nikkei 225 companies—the country's most elite corporations—have integrated Notta's AI solutions into their workflows. 'Most observers underestimate just how competitive the Japanese enterprise market is,' explains industry analyst Sarah from TechInsight Research. 'If you can win over two-thirds of the Nikkei 225, you've proven enterprise-grade reliability at scale.' Notta's 2022 Airgram acquisition was just the opening move—the company believes the real opportunity lies in completely reimagining how voice technology integrates into daily workflows. Security-First Approach Gives Notta Enterprise Edge Unlike many AI startups that retrofit compliance as an afterthought, Notta built enterprise security into its foundation from day one. The company holds ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications—credentials that remain elusive for many competitors still scrambling to meet Fortune 500 requirements. More critically, Notta has secured the regulatory trifecta that unlocks major markets: GDPR compliance for European expansion, HIPAA certification for healthcare disruption, and CCPA adherence for California's privacy-conscious landscape. This compliance-first strategy positions Notta to compete for high-value enterprise contracts that security-conscious organizations won't trust to less mature platforms. Hardware Meets AI: The Five-Platform Ecosystem Play The Notta Memo distinguishes itself in the crowded voice recording market through its unique five-platform ecosystem integration—seamlessly connecting web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, and the Memo device itself. This comprehensive approach addresses the fragmented user experience that has long plagued the industry. Unlike traditional voice recording solutions that force users to choose between SaaS flexibility and hardware reliability, Notta Memo delivers both. The device features advanced bone-conduction technology for complete phone call recording, intelligent noise reduction for crystal-clear audio capture, and one-tap synchronization with Notta. 'We're not just launching another recording device,' said Ryan, CEO of Notta. 'We're introducing a complete AI-powered voice ecosystem that adapts to how people work and communicate in today's hybrid world. Our hardware becomes an extension of our proven AI platform that has already transformed millions of meetings worldwide.' Beyond recording, Notta Memo is your AI-powered agent and centralized knowledge hub—seamlessly integrated across all your workflows. Competitive Positioning in a Dynamic Market Notta enters the US AI transcription market with an integrated approach that combines software and hardware innovation. While the market includes established players like Otter AI in the SaaS space and Plaud AI in hardware solutions, Notta differentiates itself through its comprehensive platform that leverages AI capabilities refined through years of serving millions of global users. The company acknowledges the challenges in competing against established players with loyal American user bases. However, Notta's proven track record of rapid user acquisition and revenue growth in Japan, combined with its technological differentiation, positions it as a formidable new entrant. Market Timing and Strategic Vision Notta's American expansion comes at a pivotal moment in the AI industry. As enterprises increasingly adopt AI agents for productivity enhancement and consumers demand more intelligent, seamless technology experiences, the convergence of AI SaaS and purpose-built hardware represents a natural evolution. The Notta Memo's launch signals more than just product diversification – it represents Notta's vision of AI-native hardware that thinks, learns, and adapts to user needs. This positions the company at the forefront of the next wave of AI innovation, where the distinction between SaaS and hardware dissolves into unified, intelligent experiences. About Notta Notta is the AI unicorn that's redefining how the world captures and understands conversations. Seamlessly integrating advanced SaaS with intelligent hardware, Notta turns conversations from any meeting, call, or discussion into actionable insights. This AI-powered, end-to-end solution captures and structures spoken interactions, creating a centralized knowledge hub. Media Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Notta