• Brazil plans ‘digital tax’ on shipments from e-commerce giants

    "We will follow the example of developed nations, a digital tax," finance minister Fernando Haddad told reporters. "Consumers will be exempt from any tax collection when they make the purchase; companies will collect it without passing on any additional cost." The move comes after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked his economic team not to proceed with a previously planned ending to tax exemptions for international orders from individuals. Haddad did not provide further details on the new proposal. According to a source at the Finance Ministry, the proposed measure will not involve creating a new tax, but instead adopting an improved collection system. The source emphasised that the tax in question already exists and will be collected electronically prior to the shipment of goods…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Back Story: Ashley van Bruygom, “I don’t mind that I fit the stereotype”

    Shini Somara: What is your research specifically looking at? Ashley van Bruygom: I’m based at the National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology at Loughborough University, where I’m researching hydrogen combustion for aviation. I do this under extremely controlled settings using Computational Fluid Dynamics, essentially simulating flames on the computer! In aviation, hydrogen is a relatively new concept. There is lots of history, and knowledge when it comes to burning hydrocarbons, but hydrogen is completely different. For a start, it’s not a liquid, so we don’t have to worry about atomising it. However, as a lightweight gas, it is easy to burn and therein lies one of our greatest challenges. Hydrogen can be stored as a gas in a highly pressurised vessel or can be cooled to…

  • Who’s really in control of getting driverless cars safely onto UK roads?

    The UK government has been anticipating the imminent arrival of driverless cars for many years, but the technology is just one of the components needing further development before autonomous vehicles (AVs) appear on Britain’s roads. The reality of AVs hinges on developing a legal framework that underpins how they are safely and responsibly used. The first hurdle will be assessing what the law requires from the ‘driver’. Before relinquishing control and becoming just a passenger, the driver will have to understand the limits of the systems they’re using. The artificial intelligence systems that will take over driving responsibilities have had years of training, during which cars equipped with sensors have been gathering data on traffic and the behaviour of road users. Now the time for updated…

  • Hands-on review: Viofo A229 Duo dash cam

    We've previously spent some quality drive time with two other Viofo dash cams, the A139 3CH triple channel dash cam and the A139 Pro two-channel affair. Both are good systems, with the inevitable devil in the detail as to which might suit you better. Now, Viofo has an uprated two-cam system in the A229 Duo, with front and rear-facing cameras. For most private users, this is the dash cam sweet spot, covering as it does the road and all those other idiots on it both ahead of and behind your vehicle. Front and interior cam systems are ideal for professionals – e.g. taxi drivers and chauffeurs who might need to prove who did what to whom inside their vehicle – but for the rest of us, front and rear view is the optimal way to go. The A229 Duo also bucks a recent trend in dash cams by including…

  • Seagate to pay $300m fine over hard drive exports to Huawei

    US authorities have imposed the $300m (£241m) penalty on Seagate, for the shipping of 7.4 million hard drives to China-based Huawei, worth $1.1bn (£883m), the Department of Commerce has confirmed.  The hard drives were sold  between August 2020 and September 2021, immediately after the Trump administration imposed a ban on the sale of foreign items made with US technology to Huawei. Even after “its competitors had stopped selling to them … Seagate continued sending hard disk drives to Huawei”, said Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. “Today’s action is the consequence.” Axelrod said the administrative penalty was the largest in the history of the agency not tied to a criminal case. The move is the…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Proliferation of ‘hackers for hire’ risks UK cyber-security, agency says

    A proliferation of hostile cyber capabilities has already enabled more states, gangs and individuals to develop the ability to hack and spy online, according to the National Cybersecurity Centre's (NCSC) latest report.  The NCSC – a part of GCHQ – warned that thousands of people are being targeted each year by hackers using surveillance software, which it described as posing an unpredictable threat. The report highlights that 80 countries have purchased cyber intrusion software over the past 10 years. This included off-the-shelf capability, which the report described as "hacking-as-a-service" as well as hacking services, dubbed "hackers-for-hire". The agency stressed that the sophistication of these commercial products is as effective as some of the tools developed by nation-states. It…

  • Thousands of stranded cars left undetected on smart motorways, Labour claims

    According to Labour’s analysis of live lane breakdown incidents between 2016 and 2020, 60,925 were believed to be on roads without a permanent hard shoulder. The party then drew upon detection rates published by the Office of Road and Rail to come up with its figure of an average of more than 4,000 breakdowns being missed in a year, or approximately 12 a day. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said the “shocking” statistics show motorists have been “left at risk”, as she urged the government to reinstate the hard shoulder on such roads. Transport secretary Mark Harper said it would cost “billions of pounds” to reinstate the hard shoulder while maintaining the capacity of the road network. He added Labour has “no plan to pay” for such a move and instead claimed the opposition’s…

  • Drop in demand for new electric cars puts green transition at risk, report warns

    The volume of new electric car searches, ad views and messages to retailers on the Auto Trader platform has dropped by almost two-thirds (65 per cent) between March 2022 and 2023, the company has reported. Electric vehicles (EVs) then made up 16.3 per cent of new car ad views on the website, but by March 2023 the figure had fallen to 10.54 per cent, Auto Trader said. Auto Trader's Road to 2030 has attributed this to the high cost of EVs, which were found to be, on average, 37 per cent more expensive than petrol and diesel cars. Moreover, other factors such as high interest rates and an increase in the cost of electricity also played a role.  The company stressed that these high costs are hampering the uptake of EVs, with the number of models priced between £20,000 and £30,000 significantly…

  • Why investors should stop chasing unicorns

    The term ‘unicorn’ was first used to describe a category of high-growth company in a 2013 blog post by venture capitalist Aileen Lee. She defined a unicorn quite narrowly as a US-based software company started since 2003 and valued at $1bn+ by public or private market investors. These companies are very rare and very desirable to investors, hence ‘unicorn’. Venture capitalists hunt for start-ups with unicorn potential because they need their many risky investments to return the occasional reward. Back then, Lee counted 39 unicorns. Today, there are many more – over 1,200, according to the CB Insights definition of private companies valued at $1bn+. Almost half of those are based in the US and a quarter in China. The mightiest unicorn is TikTok owner ByteDance (China), which is valued at…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • HS2 work ‘will continue to progress’ despite concerns over rail line's future

    Transport secretary Mark Harper made his comments in the Commons earlier today (Thursday) after Conservative MP Theo Clarke (Stafford) asked him: “I welcome the government’s commitment to railway reform, but the secretary of state will know from my recent meeting with the rail minister that my Stafford constituency is heavily impacted by the construction of HS2 and we have always been promised that there will be economic benefits for Stafford through the Handsacre link. “Given the recent push to find savings in this project, concerns have been raised that the Handsacre link will be scrapped. So, can I ask him to confirm this will go ahead?” Harper replied: “Whilst our priority is to deliver the opening stage of HS2 on schedule and for high-speed services to commence from Old Oak Common…

  • Environmental protesters vow to help London Marathon run ‘smoothly’

    The climate action group is staging a four-day protest outside Parliament Square from 21 April, but has been in talks with the marathon race director to ensure minimal disruption. A Just Stop Oil activist also confirmed there are no plans to disrupt the race on Sunday, although they encouraged protesters to attend. An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said: “There’s over 200 groups who have joined us for the weekend and everyone is committed not to disrupt the race and our stewards who are responsible for the whole group will facilitate that. “It’s our intention to facilitate the marathon to take place smoothly.” Extinction Rebellion said it had been in talks with the London Marathon since November, which the spokesperson described as “a really fruitful conversation about how we can…

  • El Salvador slashes taxes for companies developing AI products

    The Central American country has voted in favour of the tax exemptions, in a bid to make the country a more attractive destination for technological companies, entrepreneurs and investors. The tax exemptions - which are anticipated to be kept in place for the next 15 years - will be available for eligible companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, as well as other computer programming work. Lawmakers approved the motion with 69 voting in favour among the 84-member unicameral legislature. "With these exemptions, we are facilitating the development of the technological sector in our country, and manufacturing as well, which will help a new industry emerge," said lawmaker Rodrigo Ayala during the debate. Next week, I’ll be sending a bill to congress to eliminate all taxes…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • The road to decarbonisation begins with increasing grid flexibility

    The fight against climate change has reached a critical deadlock. Armed with the information that modernising the grid is essential to significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions, distribution system operators (DNOs) have the responsibility of bringing this vision to fruition. Electricity loads are anticipated to double by 2050 due to widespread electrification of homes and businesses, with the proliferation of electric vehicles and heat pumps serving as major catalysts. By 2050, the National Grid is expecting 300,000 new heat pumps to be installed annually, while 36 million EVs may be on the road by 2040. The conventional, one-directional energy model will be unable to meet the demand. The road to decarbonisation begins with increasing the grid's flexibility. This entails evolving to…

  • Russia-linked groups seek to ‘destroy’ UK critical infrastructure, minister warns

    In response to the rising threat from state-backed hackers, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will issue an “official threat notice” to operators of critical national infrastructure. The move has been confirmed by Dowden, who used his appearance at the CyberUK conference in Belfast to stress the importance of cyber security for the UK economy, warning against "ideologically-motivated" attackers that seek to "disrupt or destroy" the nation's critical infrastructure.  "Ransomware is no longer just a crime," Dowden said. "It is a national security threat and our response needs to reflect the severity of that threat. These are attacks on our citizens, our businesses and our democracy. They are an attempt to undermine our society." The minister stressed that over the last 18 months…

  • Drought conditions force Panama Canal to lower maximum depth limit for ships

    The restrictions, which will take effect from today (Wednesday), mean that so-called neo-Panamax container ships seeking to cross the canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans must comply with a maximum depth of 47.5ft, down from 50ft (technically 49.9ft), obliging them either to weigh less or otherwise transport fewer goods. The new measures are due to recent drought conditions, the canal authority said, prompting the fifth adjustment of its kind since the start of the year. Officials did not provide an end date to the measure, described for now as temporary, but said they hope it can "be lifted as soon as possible" once the Central American rainy season starts. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) oversees the operation of the world-famous trade route that cuts through the Isthmus…

  • Gateway to the Moon - and beyond!

    For over 22 years, humans have maintained a continuous presence in space, on board the International Space Station (ISS). It has now become almost routine, as astronauts and cosmonauts regularly blast off for stays in low-Earth orbit (LEO), with relatively little fanfare. But all of this is about to change. Nasa currently expects the ISS to retire from active service in 2030, because a hot, new destination in the sky is about to re-open its doors: the Moon. The successful launch of Artemis 1 in November 2022 was the first step on the journey, testing the rocket that will take four crew members, including the first woman, back to our natural satellite. The plan now is to launch Artemis 2 in 2024, which will take four astronauts out of Earth’s orbit for the first time since Apollo and take…

  • Australia unveils roadmap to boost uptake of electric vehicles

    As part of the plan, the federal government will introduce a fuel efficiency standard, working with the industry to finalise details in coming months, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said. Apart from Russia, Australia was the only developed country to either not have or be developing fuel efficiency standards, which encourage manufacturers to supply more electric and zero-emission vehicles. Transport is the third-largest source of carbon emissions in Australia, already one of the world's biggest emitters on a per capita basis. The initiative will help cut the country's emissions by at least three million tonnes of carbon by 2030 and over 10 million tonnes by 2035, Bowen said. Last year, Australia's centre-left Labour government flagged that it had plans to introduce new regulations targeting…

  • AI used to identify lung cancer vulnerabilities

    The research team, led by scientists at the University of Montana, has focused on searching for vulnerabilities in lung cancer cells with innovative technologies. The team used AI tools to improve their understanding of how protein groups in lung cancer cells regulate cell division and metabolism, with a view to develop better therapies to treat the disease. “We examined how cells respond to anti-cancer drugs used to treat lung cancer,” said Mark Grimes, a University of Montana biologist. “We used machine-learning algorithms to detect patterns in data that are difficult to see because our human brains are not all that great at seeing patterns in large spreadsheets.” Lung cancer continues to be a major cause of mortality. The disease is the third most common cancer in the UK, accounting…

  • The measure of: Seoul Ring Ferris wheel

    The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has unveiled plans to build the world’s largest spokeless Ferris wheel as a new landmark for the city. Named Seoul Ring, the wheel will be located in Haneul Park and will offer stunning riverside views of the nation’s capital. The structure will enliven the skyline of Haneul, a former landfill site which has now been converted into an ecological park. In line with the area’s sustainable goals, the wheel will run on green energy, including solar power, according to SMG. Image credit: Cover Images The Seoul Ring won’t just be a deck to provide sweeping views of the surrounding area; city authorities say the Haneul Park site was chosen for its symbolism as a gateway to both Seoul and unified Korea and as a location geographically…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Aluminium scrap suitable for making new car parts, saving energy, scientists suggest

    The innovative process could allow the automotive industry to recycle aluminium leftover from car manufacturing processes with 50 per cent less energy and 90 per cent lower emissions than traditional methods. The new method could remove the need to mine and refine the same amount of raw aluminium ore and also help extend the driving range of electric vehicles (EV). Moreover, by reducing the cost of recycling aluminium, manufacturers may be able to reduce the overall cost of aluminium components, better enabling them to replace steel. The research has been presented by the Department of Energy of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in collaboration with mobility technology company Magna.  “We showed that aluminium parts formed with the 'ShAPE' [Shear-Assisted Processing and…

  • UK must ‘urgently rethink’ Online Safety Bill, messaging apps claim

    The UK's largest e ncrypted messaging services have publicly opposed the government's Online Safety Bill ahead of its final reading in the House of Lords. The companies' leading executives have signed an open letter asking the UK government to “urgently rethink” sections of the legislation. They warned that in its current version, the Online Safety Bill fails to protect end-to-end encryption and respect the human right to privacy. “The bill provides no explicit protection for encryption and, if implemented as written, could empower Ofcom to try to force the proactive scanning of private messages on end-to-end encrypted communication services - nullifying the purpose of end-to-end encryption as a result and compromising the privacy of all users,” the letter states. “In short, the bill…

  • Tackling the impossible problem of content moderation

    “I always perform with nipple tassels,” says Dr Caroline Are, pole dance instructor, activist and innovation fellow at Northumbria University. “Because if a nipple shows up, I can’t post it on social media.” In her academic life at the university’s Centre for Digital Citizens, she researches the below-the-radar strategies social sites use to control content and the impact of being blocked or limited online. She speaks from experience. As a performer, her pole-dancing videos have been ‘shadow banned’ (by Instagram) or outright blocked (by TikTok). Instagram apologised and now works with her – the platform has long been criticised for moderation policies which hide images without informing subjects. TikTok alleges her videos ‘imply’ nudity, which is banned by the largely youth platform –…

  • E-scooter firm blames vandals as it pulls out of Sunderland

    Zwings only began operating in the city in January after the previous provider pulled out, citing rising energy costs as a key factor. Now, Zwings has said it will cut the available number of its electric scooters in Sunderland from Wednesday this week and end its trial in the city altogether on 5 May. “This difficult decision has been made after a series of incidents of vandalism that have occurred in the past couple of months in Sunderland,” a spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, vandalism has been higher than expected – resulting in significant financial losses for the operator – and has put the safety of its riders at risk.” Zwings and its blue scooters took over from Neuron’s orange models in the city earlier this year, launching with 100 scooters. The scheme was expected to double…

  • India greenlights gravitational-wave observatory project

    Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved 26 billion rupees (£353m) for the construction of LIGO-India, expected to be completed by 2030.  The facility has been designed as an exact copy of the twin gravitational wave observatories located in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana. The observatory is the fifth facility to join a global network of observatories focusing on detecting disturbances in space-time, known as gravitational waves. LIGO-India will be built near the city of Aundha in the Indian state of Maharashtra. "In a nutshell, it will add to our astronomical capabilities and will enable us to offer inputs and feedback not only to India but to rest of the world," Indian union minister Shri Jitendra Singh said at a briefing.  The process that guided the…

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