• TikTok pushes back against US and UK opposition

    TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have become the focus of a geopolitical trade and technology dispute between Beijing and Washington, as the company tries to prevent further regulatory restrictions.  Shou Zi Chew, the social media app's CEO, faced four and a half hours of what TikTok described as "grandstanding" questioning from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers. The Congressmen questioned TikTok's links to the Chinese administration and the effects that the short-video platform could have on children's well-being.  “Mr Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security,” committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers said in her opening statement. “TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more…

  • North Korea claims its subsea drones could trigger ‘radioactive tsunamis’

    North Korea's new Unmanned Underwater Nuclear Attack Craft Haeil drone is said to be able to generate giant "radioactive tsunamis" to attack enemy targets.   The drone is built to “stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through an underwater explosion" to destroy enemy naval strike groups and ports, state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNW) has reported.  The device was tested in the waters off South Hamgyong province on Tuesday (21 March), and it cruised for over 59 hours at between 80 to 150 metres deep before being detonated, according to the agency.  The test "verified [the drone's] reliability" and "confirmed its lethal strike capability", KCNA said. The test of the  “nuclear underwater attack drone” was part of a three…

  • 3D-printed rocket launch successful; second stage, less so

    The Long Beach, California-based company's 110-foot tall Terran 1 rocket, which is 85 per cent made of 3D-printed parts, lifted off on its debut flight around 11:25 p.m. EDT (03:25 GMT on Thursday) from a launchpad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. Roughly 80 seconds into the flight at an altitude of nearly 10 miles (16km) above the Atlantic ocean, the rocket reached peak aerodynamic stress as it ascended toward space at 1,242mph (1,999km/h), passing a key objective of the test mission. Upon reaching space, the rocket's second stage engine appeared to briefly ignite but failed to achieve thrust, ultimately failing to reach orbit. "While we didn't make it all the way today, we gathered enough data to show that flying 3D-printed rockets is possible," said Arwa Tizani Kelly,…

  • 700,000 car drivers in London face ULEZ fee when zone expands

    The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone - due to start from 29 August this year - will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”. The news comes a day after Transport for London (TfL) claimed that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day already meet the ULEZ standards, so would not be liable for the charge. TfL also claimed that many drivers are switching from older, more polluting vehicles ahead of the expansion. The controlled zone is currently limited to the area within London’s North and South Circular roads, but Mayor Sadiq Khan has moved to expand it to cover the whole of the capital in an effort to improve air quality for all residents. Most diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol cars…

  • View from Washington: TikTok fails to convince lawmakers

    It was brutal. It may prove fatal. TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s testimony to the US House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday (March 23) felt unconvincing and poorly prepared. Other technology executives have performed equally evasively on Capitol Hill. The difference was that they were not at hearings fighting for their companies’ lives. Unless the business can at least be sold to a non-Chinese, preferably US owner, Washington lawmakers seem increasingly hell-bent on banning TikTok. If they do so, other countries might follow suit, with several having already banned its installation on government devices, including the UK. For its part, Beijing itself has just said it could block any sale on technology transfer grounds, muddying the situation still further. “Mr Chew, welcome to the most…

  • Arm’s quest for royalties has a sting in the tail

    There comes a time in every technology company’s evolution, assuming it grows old enough, where management turns round to its customers and declares: “Hey, that’s my money!” This is where Arm, or at least its parent Softbank, has now landed. Given that Arm already collects a royalty on each core used by its chipmaking customers, Softbank has apparently decided according a report by the Financial Times that its best course of action for collecting more money is to demand it from the customers of its customers. Twenty years is also roughly the birth-to-peak lifecycle of a processor architecture that has made it to the top. IBM’s System/360 mainframe looked triumphant in the mid-1980s, two decades after forging the early computer industry. No-one got fired for buying IBM in those days. Yet…

  • View from India: Collaboration is the key to a cleaner aerospace sector

    Green manufacturing is being adopted across industries on a global scale. In the aerospace and defence industry too, the accent is on green or decarbonisation. However, lowering the carbon footprint could mean that the entire ecosystem may need an overhaul. The raw material may need to be treated to be environment friendly. Generally, products and components are shipped and distributed across geographies. Maritime transport may have to be realigned or streamlined for achieving carbon neutrality. Perhaps every segment of the logistics chain and all that it takes to create an aircraft may have to be redefined. Emissions may be lowered by adopting newer technologies. Digital twins and additive manufacturing may help reconfigure product design. Probably clean clear skies may drive aerospace manufacturers…

  • Carterpillar-like soft robot showcases great mobility skills

    The caterpillar-like robot developed by the North Carolina researchers could offer a new approach to locomotion for soft robotics. The caterpillar-bot’s movement is driven by a novel pattern of silver nanowires that use heat to control the robot's bending, allowing users to steer its movements in either direction. “A caterpillar’s movement is controlled by local curvature of its body – its body curves differently when it pulls itself forward than it does when it pushes itself backward,” said Yong Zhu, a leader of the research.  The team drew inspiration from the caterpillar’s biomechanics. The robot uses its nanowire heaters to control a curvature similar to that of the animals, which allows it to copy the way it moves. The robot is made of two layers of polymer, which respond differently…

  • Wood-based material cleans up toxic water using only the Sun

    The material, which was developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, could also combat the widespread problem of toxic dye discharge from the textile industry. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are currently over two billion people living with limited or no access to clean water. The new material is based on cellulose nanocrystals which have an extremely high absorption capacity. “We have taken a unique holistic approach to these cellulose nanocrystals, examining their properties and potential applications. We have now created a biobased material, a form of cellulose powder with excellent purification properties that we can adapt and modify depending on the types of pollutants to be removed,” said Gunnar Westman. The researchers show…

  • France to trial AI surveillance technology at 2024 Olympic Games, despite concerns

    France has passed a controversial bill to trial AI-based surveillance cameras at the 2024 Olympic Games, despite the opposition of human rights activists.  The bill, focused on ensuring security at the Games, included an article which allowed the use of AI-powered camera systems to spot suspicious behaviour in real-time to detect " events likely to pose or reveal a risk" of "terrorist acts or serious breaches of security".  However, the bill has been opposed by politicians and activists. Last week, around 40 mostly left-leaning members of the European Parliament said the plan "creates a surveillance precedent never before seen in Europe", according to reports by Le Monde.  Even before the debates started, members of parliament had already filed 770 amendments to the bill, many aimed at…

  • 10,000 new electric vehicle chargers coming to Surrey by 2030

    Surrey County Council and charge point provider Connected Kerb will install around 10,000 chargers as part of efforts to ramp up EV infrastructure by 2030. At present, there is one charger per 9,000 residents in Surrey, but the rollout will see this figure dramatically increase. The project is expected to cost up to £60m and will see over 5,000 fast charging points installed by 2027, including over 500 rapid charging points across the county. The rollout in Surrey will consist of chargers produced by Connected Kerb including 7kW and 22kW 'Gecko' chargers, 'Chameleon' chargers for on-street and car parks and wall-mounted 'Limpet' and 'Scarab' chargers throughout housing developments. A recent 'Net Zero Review' published by the government highlighted the opportunity for local authorities…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Sponsored: 3D Printing Composites for Aerospace

    Download free whitepaper 3D printing has been on the rise amongst aerospace manufacturers. Industry leaders are using additively manufactured composites to improve responsiveness to rapidly shifting supply chains, simplify regulatory compliance, and push the boundaries of innovation - for an ever-growing range of prototyping, tooling and end-use applications. Download our new eBook to learn how the aerospace industry uses AM, what the industry needs from 3D printing solutions, how today’s AM technologies address these needs, innovative applications and case studies, and more. Key Learning Outcomes: How additive manufacturing fits into the aerospace industry. How aerospace companies overcome compliance and regulatory hurdles when using additive manufacturing. What overlooked applications…

  • Planned expansion of human infrastructure threatens Key Biodiversity Areas

    The new assessment of the presence of infrastructure in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) raises concerns that more of the sites could contain power plants, mines and oil and gas infrastructure in the future. Maps of the KBAs were compared with datasets of different types of infrastructure in categories such as transport, dams and reservoirs and energy. Infrastructure is one of the greatest drivers of threats to biodiversity according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It can cause natural habitat destruction, pollution and increased disturbance by humans. Researchers from BirdLife International, WWF and the RSPB, in association with the University of Cambridge, have conducted an assessment of infrastructure in KBAs and found that it is widespread and likely to increase…

  • Energy-harvesting materials needed to power future IoT networks, experts say

    A group of over 100 scientists, led by  Professor Vincenzo Pecunia of Simon Fraser University in Canada, have worked together to analyse various types of energy-harvesting techniques and recommend the best strategy to convert waste energy into clean power.  The resulting paper outlines future research avenues that could allow society to fully harness the potential of energy-harvesting materials. “With the rising global energy demand and the challenges posed by climate change, it is more urgent than ever to generate green energy to preserve our planet and sustain human development,” Pecunia said.  “Energy-harvesting materials present a promising opportunity to generate clean electricity, ultimately enhancing the energy efficiency of our daily lives and supporting our efforts to combat…

  • Mobile needs global standards to ensure a greener, safer world

    Standardisation plays a vital role in ensuring that products developed for one market can be sold in others with no, or minimal, modification to the production process. Its impact is huge in the mobile communications sector, where it has helped the industry evolve to the extent that it touches everything from healthcare to commerce. Standardisation forms a collection of blueprints for the mobile industry and connected technologies such as IoT devices, encouraging competition by establishing a level playing field as well as helping the market as a whole to innovate in ways that meet consumers’ evolving needs. Let me share some thoughts on how mobile standardisation is likely to progress over the next three to five years, relating to innovation, security and climate. Greater competition…

  • Book review: ‘Distrust’ by Gary Smith

    “Science is under attack and scientists are losing credibility,” Gary Smith warns at the outset of ‘Distrust: Big Data, Data-Torturing, and the Assault on Science’ (Oxford University Press, £25, ISBN 9780192868459). “There are three prongs to this assault on science: disinformation, data torturing, and data mining. Ironically, science’s hard-won reputation is being undermined by tools invented by scientists. Disinformation is spread by the internet that scientists created. Data torturing is driven by scientists’ insistence on empirical evidence. Data mining is fuelled by the big data and powerful computers that scientists created.” The diagnosis is convincing. Throughout ‘Distrust’, Smith explains clearly the phenomena that are eroding trust in science: fake news, confirmation bias, p-hacking…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Google launches early version of Bard chatbot to the public

    Bard is an AI tool hastily created by Google over the last few months to compete with ChatGPT, a free app that can generate text in response to a prompt, including articles, essays, jokes and even poetry. The popularity of ChatGPT has skyrocketed in recent months, leading Microsoft - which invested around $10bn in the app's developers, OpenAI, in January this year - to incorporate the technology into a new version of its search engine, Bing. Announcing the public release of its competing app in a blog post, Google VPs Sissie Hsiao and Eli Collins said the Bard chatbot can be used to “boost your productivity, accelerate your ideas and fuel your curiosity”. US and UK consumers can now join a waiting list for English-language access to Bard, a program that was previously open to approved…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Researchers could generate clean energy from photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis – the process by which plants, algae and some bacteria convert sunlight into energy – could serve as a new source of clean energy, according to new research.  The team of physicists, chemists and biologists at the University of Cambridge was able to study photosynthesis in live cells at an ultrafast timescale: a millionth of a millionth of a second. Using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques to study the movement of energy, the researchers found the chemicals that can extract electrons from the molecular structures responsible for photosynthesis do so at the initial stages, rather than much later, as was previously thought. This "rewiring" of photosynthesis could improve ways in which it deals with excess energy, and create new and more efficient ways of using its power,…

  • ‘Vampiric’ overconsumption of water could lead to global crisis, UN warns

    The world is "blindly travelling a dangerous path" of "vampiric overconsumption and overdevelopment", which could lead to a global water crisis, a new United Nations report has found. By 2050, the number of people lacking access to safe drinking water in cities around the world is expected to double, with billions of people facing water shortages in the coming decades due to climate change, population growth and shifting agricultural practices, the organisation said.  Published by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ), the report has been published on World Water Day and ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference,  the first major UN water summit since 1977. The report warned that water scarcity is "becoming endemic" because of overconsumption and pollution. Moreover…

  • Water firms sacrificing environment for bumper profits, Lords say

    The Industry and Regulators Committee (IRC) has been investigating the regulation of the water industry by Ofwat, including  the investment and approach needed to prevent storm overflow overuse and the steps that must be taken to secure future water supply. It blamed “insufficient government strategy” and inadequate co-ordination resulting in a failure to “treat water with the care and importance it deserves”. In particular, it was found that Ofwat had not ensured that companies were investing sufficiently in water infrastructure in an effort to keep bills low at the expense of badly needed investment. In 2021, a review conducted by the Environment Agency found that firms in the sector had hit their lowest ever level with regards to environmental protection while most companies’ performance…

  • Vast majority of car owners don’t want MOT rules eased

    Around 67 per cent of respondents to a poll commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) opposed extending the time before new cars, motorbikes and vans need their first MOT, due to safety concerns. A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on its proposal for new vehicles to require an MOT after four years rather than three closes at 11.45pm today, Wednesday 22 March. More than 300,000 vehicles a year fail their first MOT. The MOT test checks a number of essential parts on a vehicle, such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards. DfT figures show that 26 people were killed in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2021 when vehicle defects were a contributory factor. Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of respondents to the SMMT…

  • AI-powered drones could help save lives on the battlefield

    Project ATRACT - aka 'A Trustworthy Robotic Autonomous system to support Casualty Triage' - aims to utilise novel technologies to help increase soldiers' survival chances after the battle. The researchers aim to develop new sensors, AI systems and an ethical framework to create a fully autonomous system powered by drones that can aid first responders in making critical decisions in the “platinum ten minutes” after a trauma.  The project is being developed as a response to modern forms of warfare and technological advances, including new and cheap shoulder-mounted rocket launchers that make traditional evacuation by helicopter impossible. “In the Vietnam War, American evacuation helicopters transformed soldier survivability with the emergence of the ‘Golden Hour,’ using superior air power…

  • Daylight-saving time found to cut energy usage in office buildings

    While DST opponents often argue that the time change impacts our health, for instance through sleep disturbances, proponents make the case that electricity can be saved because of longer days, which means that less artificial light is needed. “That was the original intention behind the introduction of daylight saving. From our point of view, however, it makes sense to look not only at the impact on electricity savings in lighting, but on the overall energy consumption of a building,” explained Sven Eggimann from Swiss research organisation Empa. During DST, employees start their work an hour earlier in summer due to the time change, and thus leave the office earlier in the afternoon. Since most of the cooling happens later in the afternoon, this can save energy. The assumption behind…

  • View from India: ITU presence heralds mobile advances

    A confluence of factors have probably made India an ideal destination for the ITU office. With affordable smartphones and data, the country has more than a hundred crore mobile connections, making India the world’s most-connected democracy. The country’s digital inclusion brings a few aspects to mind. India has transferred more than 28 lakh crore rupees to the bank accounts of its citizens via Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs). Modi has said that more than 800 crore digital payments are made every month in India through UPI (Unified Payment Interface). Over seven crore e-authentications take place in India every day and over 220 crore vaccine doses were administered using the Co-Win platform in India. “Telecom technology for India is not a mode of power, but a mission to empower,” said Modi…

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