Tech

Baby giraffe learns to walk with custom leg braces

Published

3 years ago

May 19, 2022

Here’s a tall tale that has proved to be an impressive stand-up job

A baby giraffe named Msituni born in a U.S. zoo with leg-related abnormalities is thriving after bring fitted with custom leg braces.

The unusual disorder made her front legs bend the wrong way – making it difficult for her to walk or stand on her own, posing a threat to her survival.

Safari park staff feared she could die if they did not take immediate action to correct her condition.

This proved especially challenging given that she was a 178-centimetre newborn weighing 55-kilograms and they had no experience at fitting a brace onto a baby giraffe before.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance partnered up with orthotists from Hanger Clinic to create moldings of the calf’s legs and then eventually the orthotic braces to help the baby giraffe.

Meet Msituni. The now 3-month-old giraffe calf was born with unstable wrist joints, causing her front legs to bend improperly. Wildlife care specialists needed to intervene quickly to save her life and partnered with orthotists at the @HangerNews to design custom leg braces. pic.twitter.com/Mgd2szt05K
— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) May 14, 2022

“We are so glad to have the resources and expertise to step in and provide this young calf the opportunity for a full life,” said Matt Kinney, DVM, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

“Without these lifesaving braces to provide support, the position of her legs would have become increasingly more painful and progressed to a point she would not have been able to overcome.”

Hanger Clinic worked with a company that makes horse braces to make the custom braces that work, as they would need to have a range of motion but be durable as well.

It took eight days to make the carbon graphite braces that featured the animal’s distinct pattern of crooked spots to match her fur using the cast mouldings of the giraffe’s legs.

In the end, Msituni only needed one brace as the other leg corrected itself with the medical-grade brace.

After ten days in the custom brace, the problem was corrected.

Msituni was in braces for 39 days from the day she was born and stayed in the animal hospital for the duration of this time.

Following this, she was slowly introduced to her mum and others in the herd.

Unfortunately, her mum rejected her but then different female giraffe has adopted her, so to speak, and now she runs around with other giraffes in the 60-acre habitat at Safari Park.

Danaya Malenda contributed to this report.

Tech

Nvidia to build AI supercomputers in the U.S. for first time

Nvidia invests $500 billion in U.S. AI supercomputers, shifting production to Texas to strengthen supply chains and boost domestic growth amid rising tariffs and national tech pressures.

Published

4 days ago

April 18, 2025

Veronica Dudo

Nvidia invests $500 billion in U.S. AI supercomputers, shifting production to Texas to strengthen supply chains and boost domestic growth amid rising tariffs and national tech pressures.

Nvidia to build AI supercomputers in the U.S. for the first time — a $500 billion move that could redefine the global tech industry.

With new tariffs on imports from China and Taiwan, the chip giant is shifting production to Texas, partnering with Foxconn and Wistron.

Nvidia says the decision will strengthen its supply chain and boost domestic economic growth.

The announcement comes amid growing pressure to secure national tech infrastructure and reduce reliance on Asia. How will this impact jobs, prices, and America’s AI ambitions?

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Tech

‘Stuck in the past’: Has Apple lost its edge?

Apple, once an innovator, faces criticism for stale updates and designs, prompting comparisons to 1980s IBM and calls for Tim Cook’s departure.

Published

6 days ago

April 16, 2025

Ahron Young

Apple, once an innovator, faces criticism for stale updates and designs, prompting comparisons to 1980s IBM and calls for Tim Cook’s departure.

Apple, once a symbol of innovation, is now under fire for uninspiring product updates.

The headline “Has Apple lost its edge? Critics say it’s stuck in the past” captures growing frustration over recycled designs and underwhelming features.

From the original iPhone to the lacklustre Apple Intelligence, critics now compare the company to IBM in the 1980s. Is it time for Tim Cook to step aside?

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#Apple #TimCook #TechNews #iPhone #AppleIntelligence #Innovation #BradGastwirth #TechDebate

Tech

OpenAI explores social network to rival Elon Musk

OpenAI is considering a social network to rival Musk’s X, spurred by the success of its new image-generation feature.

Published

6 days ago

April 16, 2025

Ahron Young

OpenAI is considering a social network to rival Musk’s X, spurred by the success of its new image-generation feature.

In Short

OpenAI is considering creating a social network to compete with Elon Musk’s X and Meta’s Instagram, following high demand for its new image-generation tool.

The company has raised $40 billion in funding and is facing increased server demands, prompting efforts to temporarily limit the tool’s usage.

OpenAI is contemplating the development of a social network to rival Elon Musk’s X and Meta’s Instagram, according to an informed source.

This initiative is reportedly in the early stages and has emerged following the success of OpenAI’s latest image-generation tool, which has stressed the company’s servers.

The announcement was first reported by The Verge, while OpenAI has chosen not to comment on the matter.

Image-generation

In March, OpenAI launched its new image-generation feature designed to create various visual content, including diagrams, infographics, and logos. This tool also enables users to produce artistic renditions from their uploaded images.

Recently, images generated by this feature have gained significant traction on social media, with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman recently using one for his profile photo on X. Altman noted the overwhelming popularity has led to increased server demands.

He mentioned that the company is currently looking to limit the feature’s usage temporarily while they enhance its efficiency.

The generative AI sector is highly competitive, particularly with the involvement of Musk’s xAI, which recently acquired X. The relationship between Altman and Musk has become contentious, particularly surrounding OpenAI’s move to become a for-profit entity.