• Hands-on review: Proscenic P11 cordless vacuum cleaner

    With the vacuum cleaner now such a generic household object, manufacturers need to identify a new niche for their latest contribution towards the endless pursuit of domestic cleanliness. These days we have vacuum cleaners with air purifiers, vacuum cleaners with special 'anti-hair-wrap technology' (Shark, we're looking at you), ones with uniquely powerful proprietary motors and suction styles, others with whisper-quiet operation. In recent years, cordless vacuum cleaners have become quite the thing. It's a logical, welcome progression. No more snagging the machine's power cord on the door frame and sofa legs, or tripping unsuspecting home companions. No need to estimate the best choice of wall socket for optimum reach and coverage, when you almost always have to unplug and replug elsewhere…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Global cap on plastic pollution required to tackle waste problem, scientists say

    In March, the UK signed a legally binding UN treaty alongside other member states designed to ultimately end plastic pollution. In a letter to the journal Science, an international group of scientists said the issue should be tackled at its source by regulating, capping and ultimately phasing out the production of new plastics. “Even if we recycled better and tried to manage the waste as much as we can, we would still release more than 17 million tons of plastic per year into nature,” said Melanie Bergmann of the German Alfred-Wegener-Institute, the initiator of the letter. “If production just keeps growing and growing, we will be faced with a truly Sisyphean task.” A research project from 2020 found that plastic emissions can only be cut by 79 per cent over the next 20 years if all solutions…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Ofcom will regulate streaming platforms to ‘protect audiences’ from ‘harmful material’

    The UK Government will give the country’s media watchdog, Ofcom, the power to draft and enforce a new video-on-demand code. The code will aim to set standards for “larger TV-like services” such as Netflix, ITV Hub and Now TV to level the rules with traditional broadcasters. Under the rules, Ofcom will be given a “strengthened duty” to protect audiences from “harmful material,” the proposal explains, citing challenged health claims and documentaries that have been labelled 'pseudoscience'. With these measures, the Government continues to strive to make tech firms accountable for the content hosted on their platforms, building on the provisions of the Online Safety Bill.  The regulator will be able to make decisions regarding age ratings and viewer guidance and impose fines of up to £250…

  • Book review: ‘Out of Touch’ by Michelle Drouin

    How do we survive an ‘intimacy famine’? This is Michelle Drouin’s central question in ‘Out of Touch’ https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/out-touch (MIT Press, £22.50, ISBN 9780262046671), a short, intensely readable book that spans topics such as marriage, pandemic isolation, and ageing. The ground it covers is well worn and, though it showcases interesting elements of the psychology of intimacy, it provides few new insights for a reader familiar with technology. Across seven chapters, Drouin draws the reader into a conversation with her engaging tone. She is especially strong when discussing psychology and psychological research, making dense subject matter easily digestible. And there is plenty to keep us engaged: thought experiments, questions, self-reflection exercises. It is clear that…

  • Satellite data used to create 3D images of Earth, detecting natural disasters

    The Planetscope satellite constellation, operated by the satellite data company Planet collects weekly and sometimes even daily images of the entire globe. Its fleet of Cubesats, or miniature satellites, has about 1,700 images of every location on Earth. The data the constellation captures has been used to monitor the spread of wildfires, detect changes in crop health and survey areas of deforestation. A group of researchers have found a way to utilise this data to detect significant natural disasters in remote regions of the globe soon after they happen, giving first responders accurate information about the needs of the region affected.  This kind of global coverage is unprecedented, said associate professor Rongjun Qin: “There are a lot of great benefits in terms of having satellites…

  • E-scooter accidents rocketed from 2020 to 2021 – NHS Ambulance Trust figures

    Major Trauma Group (MTG) submitted a mass Freedom of Information request to the Trusts which showed that 713 e-scooter related accidents were attended by NHS ambulance vehicles during 2021 – a sizeable leap from the previous year’s figure of 392. The data also revealed that the number of e-scooter accident patients being referred to A&E has increased by 40 per cent between 2020 and 2021, with 173 patients treated at the scene of an accident after being taken to their local A&E facility during 2021 compared with just 124 during 2020. MTG said the figures show that greater steps need to be taken to improve the safety e-scooter users on the roads, especially considering the government recently extended approved e-scooter trials to 30 November 2022 to support a ‘green’ restart of local travel…

  • Sponsored: Technical guide, ensuring availability and reliability in electrical systems

    No matter the industry or type of facility, downtime presents a costly risk to business continuity. Identifying electrical system vulnerabilities to prevent potential issues, and planning effective resolutions when problems occur are key to helping ensure your operation is resilient. Key Learning Points This guide offers solutions to cover the four main areas of Power Availability and Reliability: Digital and power systems reference designs How selectivity enhances uptime Electrical asset management Fault localisation, root cause analysis, and power recovery Download free whitepaper

  • Scientists discover ‘revolutionary’ one-way superconductor

    The research team, led by associate professor Mazhar Ali, has found a way to enable one-way superconductivity without magnetic fields, something that was thought to be impossible ever since its discovery in 1911 – until today. The findings, published in Nature, make use of 2D quantum materials and pave the way towards superconducting computing, something that could make electronics hundreds of times faster, all with zero energy loss. “If the 20 th  century was the century of semi-conductors, the 21 st can become the century of the superconductor,” said Ali. Since superconductivity's discovery, many scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, have puzzled over the challenge of making superconducting electrons go in just one direction.  In superconductors, a current goes through a wire without…

  • AI assists early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s signs

    Alzheimer's disease is the main cause of dementia worldwide. Although there is no cure, early detection is considered crucial for being able to develop effective treatments that act before its progress is irreversible. Mild cognitive impairment is a phase that precedes the disease, but not everyone who suffers from it ends up developing Alzheimer's. A study led by scientists at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), published in the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics , has succeeded in precisely distinguishing between people whose deterioration is stable and those who will progress to having the disease. The new technique, which uses specific artificial intelligence methods to compare magnetic resonance images, is more effective than other methods currently in use. Alzheimer…

  • Cryptoassets used for criminality could be seized under new UK rules

    The Treasury Committee, which is formed from a cross-party group of MPs, said that swift seizure of cryptoassets from criminals could help to dampen further illegal activities as the proceeds of crime are increasingly held in cryptocurrency wallets. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Treasury submitted responses to the Committee’s Economic Crime report that was published earlier in the year. They said that cryptoasset firms could be made to register for anti-money-laundering purposes or face sanctions. “If, as we recommend, the government renews the Economic Crime Plan in 2022, it should consider instituting measures specifically to protect consumers from fraud and scams relating to cryptoassets,” the FCA said. The Treasury also said that greater efforts to tackle money laundering…

  • How transport and construction can collaborate to innovate

    As a leader of the industrial age, Britain has a long and rich history of invention and ingenuity. While we may no longer be a manufacturing nation, we still maintain a strong tradition in innovation, and the government is clear that it wants the UK to become a global research and development powerhouse. We need only look to the life sciences sector and the research that enabled the UK to produce one of the leading vaccines in the response to Covid-19 to see this in action. But, as we emerge from the pandemic, taking lessons from Covid-19, we need to invigorate markets like infrastructure to spearhead a green revolution and truly ‘build back better’. Government investment in research at universities is welcome. As is the creation of the new Advanced Research and Invention Agency, which…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Learning to find the right data

    It’s perhaps an indication of how much the pendulum has swung towards machine learning within the artificial-intelligence community that the concept of ' data-centric AI ' seems practically a tautology. Back in the dim distant past, otherwise known as the late 20 th century, a lot of the AI work being done then focused a lot more on building systems from scratch that could reason for themselves about the world. Then along came deep learning and, though there are people still working on the reasoning-heavy style of AI, most of the attention has gone into the approach of showing computers pictures or descriptions of stuff and expecting them to learn to identify the stuff. In 2012, Geoffrey Hinton, professor of computer science at the University of Toronto, and colleagues demonstrated a rapid…

  • View from Brussels: Green, mean fighting machines

    Back in 2019, the EU agreed to a legally binding climate-neutrality target that will require greenhouse gas emissions to fall almost completely by 2050. The rules and regulations needed to achieve that have been on the drawing board ever since. When that ‘climate-neutrality’ target was first worked out, the main logic behind it was the EU’s obligations under the Paris Agreement, a 2015 international pact that commits almost every country in the world to do their fair bit to curb global warming. Getting rid of fossil fuels then embracing clean energy and all the health and economic benefits promised by those policies has been the EU’s mantra, but there has been a lack of urgency in actually getting it done. Then Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and changed the game. Russian energy exports…

  • ‘Vampire’ devices driving up UK energy bills by £147 a year, says British Gas

    These 'vampire' devices are typically those such as televisions, games consoles or microwaves that passively use electricity even when not in active use. In its research, British Gas claims that televisions are the most expensive item to leave on standby, costing around £24.61 annually, followed by set top boxes (£23.10 annually) and internet routers (£18.89 annually). Other devices such as washing machines, printers or mobile chargers were found to cost less than £5 on a yearly basis when left on standby. However, Twitter users have questioned some of British Gas’ calculations, especially following a 2013 ruling from the EU mandating that devices including TVs and microwaves use no more than 0.5 Watts or less per hour while in standby mode. I looked into these claims when they…

  • 3D-printed coral reefs aiming to help marine life recover

    The world's coral reefs are becoming extinct. Factors including global warming and accelerated urbanisation in coastal areas are placing tremendous stress on marine life and damaging coral ecosystems. 3D-printing could be one solution. In a paper published in Science of the Total Environment, researchers from four of Israel's leading universities – Bar-Ilan U., Technion, University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University – highlighted a 3D-printing method they developed to help preserve coral reefs. The research project is based on the natural structure of coral reefs off the southern coastal Israeli city of Eilat, but the model is adaptable to other marine environments and could help curb reef devastation plaguing coral ecosystems around the world. "The rapid decline of coral reefs has increased…

  • Plastic-eating enzyme developed with machine learning could solve waste crisis

    The discovery could help to solve the world’s escalating plastic waste crisis, which is filling up landfills and polluting oceans. The researchers said the new enzyme has the potential to “supercharge” recycling on a large scale that would allow major industries to reduce their environmental impact by recovering and reusing plastics at the molecular level. “The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process,” said Professor Hal Alper, a researcher at UT Austin. “Beyond the obvious waste management industry, this also provides corporations from every sector the opportunity to take a lead in recycling their products. Through these more sustainable enzyme approaches, we can begin to envision a true circular plastics economy.” The project focuses…

  • Solar preferable to nuclear for settlement sites on Mars, study suggests

    Many scientists and engineers who’ve thought about the logistics of living on the surface of the Red Planet have assumed that nuclear power is the best alternative, in large part because of its reliability and 24/7 operation. In the past decade, miniaturised kilopower nuclear fission reactors have advanced to the point where Nasa considers them to be a safe, efficient and plentiful source of energy and key to future robotic and human exploration. Solar power, on the other hand, must be stored for use at night, which on Mars lasts about the same length of time as on Earth. Solar panels' power production can also be reduced on Mars by the omnipresent red dust that covers everything. Nasa's nearly 15-year-old Opportunity rover, powered by solar panels, stopped working after a massive dust…

  • Sponsored: Guide to Environmental Sustainability Metrics for Data Centres

    Many companies are now reporting on sustainability as a supplement to financial reporting. They are communicating their commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs. The data centre industry has unique characteristics, such as high energy intensity, rapid growth, large power consumption and water usage that require specialised metrics. Standardising these metrics will help with adoption, improve benchmarking, and progress sustainability within the industry. Schneider Electric developed a holistic framework with standardised metrics to guide operators and the industry at large. Key Learning Points Will empower the data centre industry to take control of sustainability goals Act on the data to improve operations Remove the difficulty of selecting impactful metrics…

  • ‘Dangerous’ energy saving devices sold on eBay as household bills soar

    Electrical Safety First found some of the devices for sale on eBay, one of which was brought to the charity’s attention by adverts online promoting the devices as a way of making big savings on energy bills. It purchased four samples of plug-in devices purporting to either save energy or ‘stabilise electrical current’ and sent them to an independent lab for specialist testing. All four samples purchased were found to have failed basic safety standards, risking fires and electric shocks. One test designed to demonstrate the product’s capability to safely handle a short circuit led to the device exploding, sending fragments of hot glowing metal into the air (pictured). Image credit: electrical safety first The investigation builds on previous research by the charity…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • BT and Toshiba test first commercial quantum-secure network

    Britain's BT and Japan's Toshiba launched the first commercial trial of a quantum-secured network today (Wednesday April 27) that will block the vulnerabilities in encryption predicted to emerge once quantum computing becomes mainstream. The network will be used by professional services group EY to connect two of its sites in London: one at London Bridge and the other at Canary Wharf. BT will provide the end-to-end encrypted links over its Openreach private fibre networks, while Toshiba is supplying the QKD hardware and key management software, the companies said. Quantum computers are unreliable and costly today, but the technology offers the potential to crunch data millions of times faster than supercomputers. This London network represents a critical step towards reaching the UK government…

  • Satellite sector growth needs common world approach, warns Inmarsat head

    British satellite company Inmarsat warned on Tuesday of the environmental risks of unregulated space sector expansion.  Inmarsat chief executive Rajeev Suri has welcomed the increase in innovation in satellite constellations in low orbit that has taken place over the last few years, but called for better industry and regulatory co-ordination as they are launched. Addressing the Royal Aeronautical Society’s conference ‘Towards a Space Enabled Net Zero Earth’, Suri focused attention on major factors threatening long-term environmental and economic sustainability. "Mega-constellations are talking about tens of thousands of new satellites during this decade - satellites with an expected life of only five to 10 years," he said.  "The resulting debris creates hazards not just in a particular…

  • UK requires internet infrastructure overhaul to meet future needs, report finds

    Researchers from the University of Cambridge and BT have established the maximum speed at which data can be transmitted through existing copper cables. This limit would allow for faster internet compared to the speeds currently achievable using standard infrastructure but will not be able to support high-speed internet in the longer term. The team found that the ‘twisted pair’ copper cables that reach every house and business in the UK are physically limited in their ability to support higher frequencies, which in turn support higher data rates. While full-fibre internet is currently available to around one in four households, it is expected to take at least two decades before it reaches every home in the UK. In the meantime, however, existing infrastructure can be improved to temporarily…

  • Electronics could grow on trees thanks to nanocellulose paper semiconductors

    Semiconducting nanomaterials with 3D network structures have high surface areas and lots of pores that make them excellent for applications involving adsorbing, separating and sensing. However, simultaneously controlling the electrical properties and creating useful micro and macro-scale structures, while achieving excellent functionality and end-use versatility, remains challenging. Osaka University researchers, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Kyushu University and Okayama University, have developed a nanocellulose paper semiconductor that provides both nano−micro−macro trans-scale designability of the 3D structures and wide tunability of the electrical properties. Cellulose is a natural and easy to source material derived from wood. Cellulose nanofibres (nanocellulose…

  • Forest tress absorb nanoplastics, research finds

    A research study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL published in iForest has found evidence that forests can absorb plastic articles The impact of this on the food chain is still unclear. It has been estimated that humans ingest about five grams of plastic every week, equivalent to about half a rice bowl, according to Reuters. However, this new data might alter those calculations. Plastic waste is now polluting all of the world's ecosystems, even those located far from civilisation. The increase in use of single-use plastics to reduce Covid-19 infection rates alone has generated an estimated 8.4 million tonnes of plastic waste generated from 193 countries since the start of the pandemic. Plastic is extremely slow to decompose. According to the…

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