• Major UK banks join forces to ensure future access to cash

    While cash payments were already declining year-on-year before the pandemic hit, Covid-19 accelerated the trend, with current usage 35 per cent below pre-Covid levels. One study from Merchant Machine found a 10 per cent decrease in the number of ATMs available to UK cardholders in 2020 alone. The new deal will see shared banking hubs being rolled out alongside free ATMs, enhanced Post Office services, and access to cashback without purchases. The collaboration was achieved through the Access to Cash Action Group which has signed up all the major retail banks alongside Age UK, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and others. With millions of people across the UK still reliant on cash, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was urged last year to protect people’s access to it as it becomes increasingly…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Nasa spacecraft does hokey cokey in and out of the Sun

    The Parker Space Probe was launched in 2018 with the intent of observing the Sun more closely than any other spacecraft. The boundary between solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind is known as the Alfvén critical surface. Researchers aimed to discover where this surface lay, using data collected by the spacecraft. In April, during its eighth close approach to the Sun, the probe encountered the tell-tale magnetic and particle conditions that marked this surface, 8.1 million miles from the centre of the Sun. However, it has taken several months to return the data and confirm the encounter. The plunge was announced this week during a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. “Parker Solar Probe 'touching the Sun' is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat,” said…

  • National Cyber Strategy devised to improve skills and build resilience

    The government’s new National Cyber Strategy calls for a “whole-of-society” approach from the classroom to industry to open up access to high-skill, high-priority jobs. At the same time, the government has said it is increasing investment in the National Cyber Force, which represents the UK’s offensive capability to “counter, disrupt, degrade and contest” hostile actors seeking to harm the country’s interests. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said a “core” aim is to strengthen the UK’s hand in technologies critical to cyber while reducing reliance on suppliers from countries under regimes that “do not share our values”. He said the new strategy would “transform” the way Britain advances its national interests in cyberspace following the publication earlier this year of the Integrated…

  • Sponsored: The Benefits of Integrating Hardware, Software, and Services within a Modular Data Centre

    As organizations shift their data centre strategy from a centralized approach to a distributed model design to process IoT-generated data,  prefabricated modular data centres  are emerging as a “go-to” solution. These modular data centres should ideally come with a system-level service and maintenance plan – integrating the UPS, cooling, switchboard, and container. To optimize operations, companies should look for modular data centres built to integrate hardware, software, and services that enable organizations to connect more products and devices at the system level. This approach allows for a standard data model with cloud-based applications, tools, and services to increase performance, boost availability, and decrease operational costs. Just as today’s automobiles are factory built with…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Energy suppliers to undergo financial stress testing to prevent future collapse

    The regulator wants to measure supplier’s resilience against a range of scenarios and will agree an improvement plan for companies to address any concerns should they come up, particularly where consumers are at risk. According to analysts at Investec last month, consumers in England, Scotland and Wales could be forced to pay £3.2bn to cover the costs left behind by 26 gas and electricity providers that went bust in the wake of the high prices. Ofgem believes its new reforms will help to bolster risk management in the sector, protecting the interests of consumers and strengthening the resilience of the energy market. As well as the financial stress testing for suppliers from January, supplier executive boards will also be required to undertake self-assessments of their management control…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Paper-thin biodegradable batteries could power future wearables

    The team from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore developed the batteries from electrodes that have been screen-printed on to both sides of a piece of cellulose paper which is then reinforced with hydrogel. Once the battery has been expended, it can be buried in soil, where it breaks down completely within a month. In a proof-of-concept experiment, a 4cm x 4cm square of printed paper battery was used to power a small electric fan for  45 minutes. Bending or twisting the battery did not interrupt the power supply. In another experiment using a 4cm x 4cm battery to power an LED, the scientists showed that despite cutting away parts of the paper battery, the LED remained lit. The scientists think their printed battery could be integrated into flexible electronics…

  • Peers vote to prevent Aria-funded tech being flogged to overseas companies

    The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) Bill is making its way through Parliament. Plans for Aria, which is considered the brainchild of former Downing Street staffer Dominic Cummings, were announced in February . Aria is inspired by the Pentagon’s Darpa, which has been instrumental in the development of GPS and the internet. It aims to pursue R&D in areas of science and technology with the potential to generate ground-breaking discoveries and technologies without the pressures that limit innovation, such as fear of short-term setbacks or rigid funding models. It will be independent from government intervention and supported with £800m in funding for the remainder of this parliament. The House of Lords has been combing over the Aria Bill, voting on two amendments this week. Most…

  • IBM and Samsung unveil supremely energy-efficient semiconductor design

    The global semiconductor shortage has highlighted the critical role of investment in chip research and development and the importance of chips in everything from computing, to appliances, communication devices, transportation systems and critical infrastructure. IBM and Samsung Electronics have jointly announced a breakthrough in semiconductor design using a new vertical transistor architecture that demonstrates a path to scaling beyond nanosheet and has the potential to reduce energy usage by 85 per cent compared to a scaled fin field-effect transistor (finFET). The new vertical transistor breakthrough could help the semiconductor industry continue its relentless journey to deliver significant improvements, including a potential device architecture that enables semiconductor device scaling…

  • View from India: The year that was…

    Go Green The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded its Regional Leadership Award to CtrlS, Asia’s largest Rated-4 Hyperscale data centre. Caring for planet Earth has been integral to CtrlS's DNA. What makes this announcement worthwhile is that the company has explored various possible solutions for energy efficiency and sustainability and reduced the PUE (power usage effectiveness) to 1.35, thereby reducing energy consumption at its hyperscale data centres in India. “At CtrlS, sustainability is a key focus and is a strategic component of our organisation. We are further sharpening our focus on usage of natural sources of energy such as solar. We are in the process of constructing a 1,000-acre solar farm to power our data centre facilities. We plan to achieve carbon neutrality (net…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Covid-19 breathalyser can quickly identify infected people

    Dubbed the “Bubbler” by the Brown University researchers behind the project, the device relies on viral RNA detection to diagnose Covid-19. Its name is derived from the bubbling sound that occurs when the patient exhales into the device. The Bubbler reverse transcribes RNA from airborne virus particles into DNA which can then be tested via PCR and can also be barcoded to allow samples to be linked directly to individual patients. It can be used for simultaneous batches of pooled samples and provides additional information such as viral load and strain identity and eliminates the need for stabilising a sample. “Involvement of the lower respiratory tract is often a precursor to severe Covid-19, so there is an argument for a more direct sampling focused on exhaled breath,” explained lead…

  • Toyota to have ‘more fun’ line-up of 30 EVs by 2030

    Toyota is the world’s top-selling automaker, selling approximately 10 million vehicles annually. While most of the world’s largest automakers – including Ford, General Motors, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover – pledged at COP26 to “rapidly” accelerate the transition to less-polluting vehicles , the two largest, Toyota and Volkswagen, did not join the pledge. Toyota, which long been viewed as something of a laggard in the industry’s transition to less-polluting vehicles, has now laid out its ambition to expand its all-electric offering in the next decade. The company plans to sell 3.5 million EVs globally in 2030, up from its previous target of two million hydrogen and battery EVs per year by 2030. It aims to offer a full line-up of EVs called the 'bz series' (“beyond zero”) in…

  • Parliamentarians call for ‘major changes’ to Online Safety Bill

    Most significantly, peers and MPs said in their report on the draft bill, which was published in May , that it must be clearer about what content is illegal. They also proposed expanding the scope of the bill to include online flashing, paid-for scam and fraudulent advertising, content promoting self-harm, and deliberately sending flashing images to people with photosensitive epilepsy. The report proposed that pornographic sites should have a statutory duty to keep children away, whether or not they host user-to-user content. It recommended that Ofcom, which will be assigned responsibility for regulating the sector, should be given more powers to investigate, audit, and fine technology companies. Ofcom should also draft mandatory codes of practice for ISPs with named senior managers at…

  • Plastic-degrading enzymes on the rise in pollution hotspots

    Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden measured samples of environmental DNA from around the globe and used computer modelling to search for microbial enzymes with plastic-degrading potential. This was then cross-referenced with the official numbers for plastic waste pollution across countries and oceans. The results illustrate the impact plastic pollution is having on the environment and hint at potential new solutions for managing the problem. “Using our models, we found multiple lines of evidence supporting the fact that the global microbiome’s plastic-degrading potential correlates strongly with measurements of environmental plastic pollution – a significant demonstration of how the environment is responding to the pressures we are placing on it,” said associate…

  • Sponsored: An Innovators Journey - Getting Started in Agritech

    Today it is where the Central Research Laboratory (CRL), a purpose-built technology co-working space and hardware design accelerator is based. Early-stage companies, typically working on a diverse range of technologies, from agritech to building materials, enjoy a six-month programme of business acceleration support. Innovators receive help turning a product idea into a solid business plan, seeking funding, and getting a prototype into production. With a long-term commitment to empowering innovation, Mouser has partnered with CRL and provides funding, innovation support, and access to their technical knowledge network of industry-leading electronic component suppliers. One such start-up to benefit from the CRL accelerator programme is Muddy Machines. The company is creating innovative agricultural…

  • TfL warns that 100 bus routes could be cut without emergency funding

    In January, the body admitted that it would need at least two years of additional financial support to keep it afloat due to the disastrous effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on its finances. This was largely due to sharp falls in passenger numbers which saw rail journeys drop to lows not seen since the Victorian era. According to City Hall analysis, without a fresh round of funding TfL would be forced to cut more than 100 bus routes with an overall 18 per cent reduction in service levels. This would be coupled with a fall in reliability due to the inability to modernise train fleets, some of which date back to the 1970s. Further losses would also come from severely constraining future capital investment in the road and transport network. The analysis estimates that without the funding…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Scientists develop world’s first optical oscilloscope

    The device, created by a team at the University of Central Florida (UCF), converts light oscillations into electrical signals, much like hospital monitors convert a patient’s heartbeat into electrical oscillation. Until now, reading the electric field of light has been a challenge because of the high speeds at which light waves oscillate, researchers have said. The most advanced techniques, which power our phone and internet communications, can currently clock electric fields at up to gigahertz frequencies – covering the radio frequency and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Light waves oscillate at much higher rates, allowing a higher density of information to be transmitted. But the current tools for measuring light fields could resolve only an average signal associated…

  • Net zero efforts need to make sustainability a way of life

    Climate change, COP26, research reports and net zero targets have all been making the headlines. But the future of the planet really rests in the hands of energy users - from multinational enterprises to individual households. What happens at the sockets of our homes or office buildings is every bit as important as a new renewable energy infrastructure project coming online. But there’s a problem. Although our planet faces the biggest challenge in human history, it’s incredibly difficult to fight an enemy you can’t see. Electricity, gas, and any other energy-generated carbon emissions - they’re all invisible. And we know that up to 80 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions are linked to our use of energy . Until we can see the environmental cost of our energy use and make it easy to visualise…

  • Love is everywhere in this year's digital Christmas issue

    ‘The love theme’ sounds like an instrumental song from the late, great Barry White. But we’re thinking broader than romantic, sexy lurve. There’s motherly love and brotherly love; love for our friends, fellow human beings and family pets. We examine how technology can help make and maintain those relationships, especially in the time of a pandemic that otherwise isolated so many people in the world from real human contact with those they loved. Technology has already helped so many keep in touch with their loved ones through video links, social media and more. That’s nothing new – communications technology has always had a strong social role from the humble telephone onwards. How will it take that role further in the future? I was lucky to have my own family to stay home with, but I found…

  • Depression symptoms reduced with computer and smartphone treatments

    Digital interventions typically require patients to log in to a software program, website or app to read, watch, listen to and interact with content structured as a series of modules or lessons. Individuals often receive homework assignments relating to the modules and regularly complete digitally administered questionnaires relevant to their presenting problems. This allows clinicians to monitor patients’ progress and outcomes in cases where digital interventions include human support. The study’s lead author, Isaac Moshe from the University of Helsinki, said: “Given the accelerated adoption of digital interventions, it is both timely and important to ask to what extent digital interventions are effective in the treatment of depression, whether they may provide viable alternatives to…

  • Contracts for Difference scheme opens to expanded range of technologies

    The government hopes to secure 12GW of capacity, the largest amount in the scheme’s history, with the potential to power around eight million homes. This is more capacity than the three previous rounds combined, with additional offshore wind capacity. The scheme is open to an expanded range of renewable energy technologies: offshore and onshore wind, solar, tidal, and floating offshore. Projects involving these technologies are eligible to bid for a fraction of the funding. Regarding emerging technologies, £24m has been set aside for floating offshore wind projects and £20m for tidal stream projects. Onshore wind and solar are competing for the first time since 2015, and the government is seeking significant capacity from these technologies to help achieve the required levels of deployment…

  • Pacific undersea internet cable backed by US, Australia, and Japan

    The Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru will all benefit from the proposed cable which will provide faster and more secure communications to approximately 100,000 people across the three countries. In a joint statement, the three countries funding the project also said they believed the cable would help to support increased economic growth and drive development opportunities in the three tiny Pacific islands. “Improved connectivity and access to digital technologies can provide significant economic and social benefits and are key enablers of sustainable development,” they added. “They also help increase the availability of digital government services, particularly in education and health, and provide businesses and households with improved access to services, information and…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • £20m robot designed to assist with train cleaning

    The device, which has the appearance of a wedge of cheese crossed with the retro K9 robot dog from Doctor Who, is mounted on four wheels and equipped with flip-out brushes. It is intended to complement the work of human train cleaners by cleaning hard-to-reach spots between and under seats. According to research, many train passengers desire a higher standard of cleanliness. A survey of 50,000 people in 2020 found that more than a quarter wanted cleaner carriages. “Our research uses robotics and AI to help people to solve a wide range of challenges,” said project lead Dr Mustafa Suphi Erden, who is based at the National Robotarium. “With the daily pressure on rail services, it’s essential that trains are cleaned as fast and as efficiently as possible. “However, at present, this process…

  • Peers call for major revamp to digital regulation in fast-changing sector

    A report from the Communications and Digital Committee has claimed that current systems are not rigorous or accountable enough to address regulatory gaps and overlaps. The report advises the government to take a more “joined-up” approach alongside regulators and Parliament so that emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence advances can be dealt with in a timelier manner. Furthermore, a new Digital Regulation Co-operation Forum (DRCF) is “a small step” but a lack of overarching coordination and oversight of regulatory objectives remains, the committee added. It said it was concerned that the DRCF lacked robust systems to coordinate objectives and to sort out potential conflicts between different regulators as the workload expands. “More measures are needed to boost the DRCF…

  • Solar parks could help boost bumble bee numbers in win-win for nature

    Using a model that simulated bumble bee foraging in UK solar parks, researchers at Lancaster University investigated different management scenarios that offered varying degrees of resources for bumble bees. Their findings indicated that solar park land managed as meadows - offering the most resources - would support four times as many bumble bees as solar park land managed as turf grass. The researchers also found that large, elongated and resource-rich solar parks could boost bumble bee density up to 1km outside of the parks themselves, delivering pollinator services to crops in surrounding agricultural land. In the study, in order to understand how solar park management could impact bumble bee density within solar parks and surrounding areas, the researchers used a geographic information…

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