• Bees' ‘waggle dance’ inspires robot communication in disaster zones

    A team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Science and the University of Maryland has taken inspiration from honeycomb bees to devise a system of robot communication that can be used in places where the network coverage is absent or unreliable, such as disaster zones or outer space. Imitating the "wiggle dance" that bees use to tell their sisters about the location of nectar-rich flowers, the robots are able to trace a shape on the floor. The shape's orientation and the time it takes to trace tell the second robot the required direction and distance of travel to deliver a package.  The scientists published their findings in a study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI, describing how the team designed a  visual communication system for robots with on-board cameras, using algorithms that…

  • Wastewater analysis tool used for early discovery of Covid-19 variants

    Analysing wastewater is a cheaper, faster and more accurate way for public health officials and researchers to detect rising cases. Bits and pieces of Covid-19 are flushed down toilets and washed down sinks by infected individuals; more copies of the virus found in sewage means more people are sick. But until now, most wastewater analysis methods have lumped all the different variants together as one.   Scientists at Scripps Research and University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a method that allows them to accurately determine the genetic mixture of Covid-19 variants present within a population from just two teaspoons of raw sewage. This allows them to identify new variants of concern up to 14 days before traditional clinical testing. In San Diego wastewater, the group…

  • ‘Porosity’ of Moon’s crust reveals history of celestial bombardment

    The Moon was routinely pummelled by massive asteroids and comets during the creation of the solar system around 4.4 billion years ago and it still get hits by celestial objects today, albeit less frequently. This period of intense bombardment ended around 3.8 billion years ago, leaving behind a heavily cratered face and a cracked and porous crust. The team has shown through simulations that, early on in the bombardment period, the Moon was highly porous - almost one-third as porous as pumice. This high porosity was likely a result of early, massive impacts that shattered much of the crust. Scientists have assumed that a continuous onslaught of impacts would slowly build up porosity. The team found that nearly all the Moon’s porosity formed rapidly with these massive impacts and that the…

  • Tougher criminal penalties proposed for ‘downblousing’ and porn deepfakes

    The Law Commission of England and Wales said the reforms would make it easier to prosecute those who take or share sexual, nude or other intimate images of people without their consent. The recommendations would also update the law to cover more modern forms of abuse that are currently not offences, including “downblousing” which is currently not criminalised in the same way as "upskirting". As well as extending and simplifying the law, under the reforms, all victims of abuse would receive lifetime anonymity in the hope that it will help empower victims to report and support prosecutions. Commenting on the reforms, professor Penney Lewis, the Law Commissioner for Criminal Law, said: “Sharing intimate images of a person without their consent can be incredibly distressing and harmful for…

  • MI5 and FBI warn of China’s desire to ‘steal’ Western technology

    The heads of the FBI and MI5 intelligence agencies have delivered an unprecedented joint address raising alarms about the “game-changing” threat posed by Chinese espionage.   The FBI's Christopher Wray and MI5's Ken McCallum shared a stage for the first time at the MI5 headquarters in London to warn an audience of industry CEOs and senior figures from universities about the dangers posed by China's reported desire to obtain Western technology to acquire a competitive gain.  “The Chinese government is set on stealing your technology - whatever it is that makes your industry tick - and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market,” Wray said in the speech. “Maintaining a technological edge may do more to increase a company’s value than would partnering with a Chinese company…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Apple devices to get ‘Lockdown Mode’ with extra defences against spyware

    'Lockdown Mode' will be introduced later this year in updated versions of iOS and MacOS. Apple believes it could be particularly useful for human rights advocates, political dissidents and other targets of sophisticated hacking attacks. “Apple makes the most secure mobile devices on the market. Lockdown Mode is a ground-breaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of security engineering and architecture. “While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyber attacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are. That includes continuing to design defences specifically for these users, as well as supporting researchers…

  • Offshore wind price hits record low in renewables auction

    The UK government has announced 11 gigawatts of winning bids for various renewable technologies at a record-low price, s ecuring a record amount of renewable power in its flagship auction scheme. The auction process has secured almost the same amount of green energy as the previous three rounds combined, which amounts to 14 per cent of the UK’s total current electricity capacity and is enough to power around 12 million homes, according to officials. Almost two-thirds of the auction were awarded to  offshore wind, as five projects secured 7GW of new capacity. At £37.35 per megawatt-hour, it is the lowest cost of all renewable technologies and significantly cheaper than the current cost of electricity, which has been trading at over £150/MWh for much of this year. The previous record low…

  • Shapeshifting microrobots capable of brushing and flossing teeth

    A shapeshifting robotic microswarm could one day act as an all-in-one toothbrush, rinse and dental floss solution. The technology, developed by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania, could potentially offer a new and automated way to perform the mundane but critical daily tasks of brushing and flossing. The system that could be particularly valuable for those who lack the manual dexterity to clean their teeth effectively themselves. The building blocks of the microrobots are iron oxide nanoparticles that have both catalytic and magnetic activity. Using a magnetic field, researchers could direct their motion and configuration to form either bristle-like structures that sweep away dental plaque from the broad surfaces of teeth, or elongated strings that can slip between…

  • Competition authority investigating alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Amazon

    While some of the products on Amazon’s Marketplace are supplied through its own retail business, a large proportion are supplied by third-party sellers. Amazon provides services to these sellers, including those that are essential to make sales, such as matching sellers with consumers or handling some of the logistics. The CMA investigation will consider whether Amazon is abusing its position as an e-retailer and distorting competition by giving an unfair advantage to its own retail business or sellers that use its services, compared to other third-party sellers on the Amazon UK Marketplace. It will look at how Amazon collects and uses third-party seller data as well as how it sets criteria for who gains its preferred 'Buy Box' or 'Prime' labels. Sarah Cardell, general counsel at the…

  • UK plans to boost domestic energy security with focus on low-carbon tech

    The package will include extra support for the deployment of low-carbon technologies at scale such as carbon capture, usage and storage, and hydrogen. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the plan would allow Britain to secure a ‘first mover advantage’ in capturing some of the global market share for these technologies and could help prop up the UK’s flagging economy. The Energy Security Bill also includes measures to further the deployment of heat networks and drive down the cost of electric heat pumps. Heat network consumers typically pay a lower price for their heat than those on an individual gas boiler, while replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump can reduce a home’s energy use by well over 50 per cent. Ofgem will also be appointed to oversee regulation…

  • Hacker claims to have stolen data on one billion Chinese citizens

    An anonymous internet user, identified as 'ChinaDan', posted on the hacker forum Breach Forums last week offering to sell more than 23 terabytes of stolen data from the Shanghai police database, including names, addresses, birthplaces, national IDs, phone numbers and criminal case information regarding one billion Chinese residents. In an anonymous post, the hacker asked for 10 bitcoin, worth around $200,000 (£168,000) for the complete file. "In 2022, the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database was leaked. This database contains many TB of data and information on Billions of Chinese citizen," the post said. The Shanghai government and police department did not respond to requests for comment on Monday, and news outlets have been unable to check the veracity of the post, or contact the…

  • Plans for UK's first Plastic Park approved

    It is expected that the £165m park will recycle 367,500 tonnes of plastic, helping to slash carbon emissions on the road to net zero. Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, are behind the blueprint, which will feature innovative processing and treatment technologies to make the most of up to 367,500 tonnes of mixed recyclables and plastic every year. The consent will also see a hydrogen refuelling station developed at the Plastic Park, with the overall scheme set to create 147 new jobs. Richard Barker, development director at Peel NRE, said: “It’s great to get unanimous backing for the Plastic Park – a UK first that will underpin the circular economy in the North West. “It’s imperative we deliver creative solutions to the UK’s plastic problem. This project clusters recycling technologies in one…

  • EU approves ‘global first’ digital legislation

    The European Parliament has given its stamp of approval to two landmark rules that aim to rein in the power of tech giants such as Alphabet unit Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.  With the passing of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU is creating what it describes as  a "rulebook" for online platforms, with the goal of creating "a safer and more open digital space, grounded in respect for fundamental rights". While the DSA focuses on targeting content deemed illegal in Europe, making platforms responsible for its removal, the DMA aims to curb anticompetitive behaviour and keep "gatekeepers" from suppressing market competition.  The fines for non-compliance can reach up to 6 per cent of annual global turnover for DSA breaches, and as much as…

  • Twitter sues Indian government over content removal orders

    Twitter has filed a suit in the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore, India, challenging a recent government order for the company to remove content and block dozens of accounts. The decision has escalated the social media company’s fight against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drive to acquire more control over the content published on social media platforms.  Twitter complied with the order, made under India's information technology law, but immediately sought judicial relief. According to the lawsuit paperwork, Twitter has alleged that New Delhi had abused its power by ordering it to arbitrarily and disproportionately remove several tweets from its platform, some of which “pertain to political content that is posted by official handles of political parties”, the social media giant stated…

  • Hands-on review: Ebo Air smart home companion robot

    Ebo Air from Enabot is pitched as a "family companion robot", a mobile, self-charging, family-friendly robotic companion, designed to help people connect with loved ones at all times, from any location. Of course, we can already connect with our loved ones via the medium of telephone, message or video chat, but what this little robotic friend will do is propel itself around your home at programmed intervals, chattering away to itself, filming and taking photos (saving either to its 16GB external memory or a card up to 256GB), entertaining pets and children as it goes, monitoring your home for unknown intruders, and generally being a helpful little soul. In its core functionality, Ebo Air is reminiscent of Kuri , the home companion robot created by Mayfield Robotics, whose cute appeal famously…

  • Hands-on review: Honor Earbuds Pro 3

    Since being sold off by Huawei in 2020, Honor has been carving out a niche for itself releasing solid if unexceptional mid-range smartphones as well as accessories like earbuds. First impressions of the Earbuds Pro 3 are positive; the diminutive case feels solidly built, with a durable opening mechanism that snaps shut satisfyingly. It also comes with a handy charging light on the front and a sync button for quickly pairing with new devices. While hardly a revelation, the sync button is often absent from cheaper buds, which can make syncing an awkward experience. The buds themselves look relatively sleek, with a shiny, faux-aluminium design that fit comfortably in the ear without sticking out too much – unlike some of Honor’s previous efforts . Sound quality is excellent. While buds will…

  • How the future of healthcare innovation puts medics at the centre

    Medics are often the pioneers of new solutions – they have the knowledge and ambition to make things better for patients. Yet when it comes to the adoption of medical innovation in healthcare settings their views are often ignored, and purchasing decisions left to management and procurement teams who lack understanding of how technologies and products will be used, or any direct experience of working in a clinical environment. The misalignment between a product’s promise and its clinical reality ultimately hinders patient care, with doctors and nurses having to find workarounds for the product’s shortcomings in high-pressure, high-risk environments, such as an operating theatre. Over time, the lack of trust can undermine the successful adoption of new, efficient, lifesaving technologies in…

  • AI ‘predicts crime with 90 per cent accuracy’

    Scientists from the University of Chicago have developed a new algorithm that they claim can predict future crimes one week in advance with about 90 per cent accuracy. The AI, which has been taught to identify patterns in time and geographic locations using public data on violent and property crimes in the city of Chicago from 2014 to the end of 2016, was able to accurately predict crime levels several weeks in advance. The model was also trained and tested on data for seven other major US cities, with a similar level of performance. However, the AI's conclusions also suggested the existence of bias in police responses across the city, associated with race.  According to the research, published in the journal   Nature Human Behavior , crime in wealthier areas of Chicago resulted in more…

  • Firefighters issue lithium battery warning after huge London blaze

    At its height, the blaze, which began in a 12th-floor flat in Shepherd’s Bush on 22 June, was tackled by 60 firefighters. Fire crews led six people to safety and one man was taken to hospital. According to London Fire Brigade investigators, the fire was caused by the failure of an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery. The Brigade said it has seen a significant spike in e-bike and e-scooter incidents, which have become more popular in recent years. Just this year, fire crews have already attended 32 fires involving e-bikes and another seven involving e-scooters. So far in 2022, there have been a further 17 fires involving other lithium-ion batteries. Last year there were more than 100 fires in the capital involving lithium-ion batteries. The Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety,…

  • Online Safety Bill amendments target state-backed disinformation

    The UK government is expected to present its amendments to the Online Safety Bill, which will make “foreign interference” a designated priority offence.  The proposed change will impose a legal duty on social media companies, video streaming platforms and search engines to proactively identify and remove state-sponsored or state-linked disinformation . This would include tackling material from fake accounts set up by individuals or groups acting on behalf of a foreign state which is designed to influence or disrupt democratic or legal processes, the government said. This amendment will also require platforms to tackle the spread of hacked information designed to undermine democratic institutions. The changes to the Online Safety Bill come in part as a response to Russia’s activity around…

  • Five areas in Celtic Sea identified for floating offshore wind farms

    The areas were selected following technical analysis and discussions between the Crown Estate and the UK and Welsh governments. They will be offered to the market via competitive tender, a process to be launched in mid-2023. It is intended that the facilities could deliver around 4GW of floating offshore wind power by 2035 and could kick-start the fledgling industry. The UK is one of the world leaders in offshore wind power and harnessing that energy is considered to be a key component in meeting global net-zero carbon emissions targets by 2050. The Crown Estate will also be tendering larger, 1GW-scale projects which may be developed in a phased or ‘stepping stone’ approach. Research commissioned by the body indicates that the Celtic Sea has the economic potential to accommodate up to…

  • Rail freight growth explored to cut UK carbon emissions from goods transport

    The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), which is a public body, is calling for a broad range of views on how to expand rail freight. It is estimated rail freight currently accounts for just 10 per cent of surface freight although it generates about 76 per cent less carbon emissions compared to HGVs per tonne of goods transported. GBRTT has called for a freight growth target to boost investment in the sector by setting a clear government ambition for growth. It said such a target would help the UK meet its legally binding greenhouse gas reduction targets. If rail freight volumes treble by 2050, as modelling indicates could be required to meet the net-zero targets, then there would be about 14 million fewer road lorry movements a year than today. Rail minister Wendy Morton…

  • Large Hadron Collider project discovers three new exotic particles

    The international LHCb collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has observed three never-before-seen particles: a new kind of 'pentaquark' and the first-ever pair of 'tetraquarks', which includes a new type of tetraquark. The findings, presented today (July 5) at a CERN seminar, add three new exotic members to the growing list of new hadrons found at the LHC. They will help physicists better understand how quarks bind together into these composite particles. Exotic particles, such as those now discovered, had only been theorised but not observed until recently. These exotic particles are built out of quarks. Quarks are elementary particles and come in six flavours: up, down, charm, strange, top and bottom. They usually combine together in groups of twos and threes to form hadrons…

  • NHS to trial drone delivery of chemotherapy drugs

    The NHS has revealed it is planning to trial the use of drone technology to enable doctors to make “same-day delivery” orders for drugs and medical equipment from anywhere in the country. The trial will see a drone deliver chemotherapy drugs from the pharmacy at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust to St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight. The journey is expected to take 30 minutes, eliminating the need for patients to travel three to four hours by car, ferry or hovercraft to collect life-saving medication. If successful, the technology might be used for similar drops elsewhere in the nation.  The trial was presented by Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive, as part of the celebrations of the 74th anniversary of the health service’s creation by the postwar Labour government…

Community Rules & Guidelines