• China to curb exports of certain semiconductor materials

    The move has been justified as a decision by the Chinese government to "protect national security and interests", but experts have interpreted it as a retaliation measure against restrictions on the exportation of US and European semiconductor technology to China.  The eight gallium and six germanium products affected by the curbs are widely used in the production of semiconductors, electric vehicles and military equipment, and could cause a  disruption to global supply chains. The export controls will begin on 1 August, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. From that date on, exporters of gallium and germanium will be required to apply for “special permission from the state” to ship them out of China, the government added.  China is currently the biggest producer of gallium…

  • First UN meeting on the threats of artificial intelligence to be held in the UK

    The United Nations Security Council meeting will be held in the United Kingdom, and it has been presented as a centrepiece of the UK's presidency of the council.  The summit will focus on the major risks that would arise from governments using AI to develop autonomous weapons or control nuclear weapons. With this goal, it will include briefings by international AI experts and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres has been known for speaking up against the risks of new technologies such as AI and has revealed plans to appoint a scientific advisory board with expertise in this area. He also said he would react favourably to the creation of a new UN agency on AI with some regulatory powers, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “These scientists and experts have called…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Amazon dolphin numbers threatened by proposed dams and dredging

    Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Through the satellite tags, the team at the University of Exeter and Peruvian conservation organisation Pro Delphinus found that 89 per cent of the area the dolphins live in is currently being used for fishing. “It’s clear that the Amazon river dolphin is facing increasing threats from humans,” said Dr Elizabeth Campbell , a researcher on the study. “Fishing can deplete populations of the dolphins’ prey, and dolphins are also at risk from intentional killing and bycatch (accidental catching). “Bycatch has been known to be a threat to these dolphins for the last 30 years, but there’s no real data on how many dolphins are caught per year.” In the research, the river dolphins were found…

  • Twitter restricts number of tweets people can see; facing legal action over unpaid bills

    The news of the lawsuit broke one day after Twitter owner Elon Musk revealed its plan to begin restricting the number of tweets people can see in a day to 6,000 , sparking criticism from users and advertisers. Musk said Twitter had imposed the “temporary limit” to “address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation”. The announcement followed complaints of users being unable to access the site  from 12pm onwards on Saturday, only seeing a message that read “Rate limit exceeded. Please wait a few moments then try again”, which led to ' #Twitterdown' and 'RIP Twitter' to begin trending on the platform. Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said it is “very odd to start rate-limiting the reading of a social network”, as limiting users’ scroll time “will affect…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK sets new limits on energy, industry and aviation carbon emissions

    The new limits have been announced in a package of reforms presented by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority (UK ETS), the joint body comprising the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.  The scheme has been in place since 2021 to replace the UK's participation in the European Union's ETS. It puts a limit on the total amount of greenhouse gases aviation, power and other energy-intensive industries can emit. However, from next year, the limits will be tightened to ensure industries bring their emissions down at the rate needed to reach net zero goals. The programme incentivises decarbonisation through a process of buying and selling emissions allowances, which companies must obtain for…

  • View from India: Technology ties to bind US partnership

    Technology could well play a defining role in deepening the India-US partnership. A number of collaborations support this view. A beginning may be the 'Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology' (iCET) that happened in January 2023. The strategic technology partnership involves both governments, businesses and academic institutions to realise their shared vision to take the alliance forward. To that effect, policies and regulations could be adapted to facilitate technology sharing, co-development and co-production opportunities. Then, in June 2023, the 'Strategic Trade Dialogue' was flagged with the intent of enabling greater technology transfer between both nations. This was one of the many outcomes of Modi’s recent visit to the US at Biden's invitation. Both leaders have issued joint…

  • Q&A with Simpson & Partners on the future of EV charging

    Mandy and David Simpson are co-directors of family-run Simpson & Partners, which makes designer EV chargers in the Cotswolds. He is a former bank IT professional who heads the engineering side while she, as a former fashion designer previously working at DKNY in New York, takes care of the design, look and feel. I met up with them at their factory in the Cotswolds. E&T: How did you get started with this venture? Mandy Simpson: We started Andersen in 2016, making electric car chargers, based in London. It was David's idea on his way into work. He worked at Lloyds IT. And I was having a career in fashion at the time. And he said, oh, let's get into the EV business, because it's booming. So we started Andersen from scratch, he led our design team technical team and I did all the brand. And…

  • Competition watchdog concerned about £16bn Adobe takeover

    The regulator said today (Friday 30 June) that the deal could potentially mean “less choice for designers”, as the two businesses would stop competing with each other. Sorcha O’Carroll, senior mergers director at the CMA, said: “We’re worried this deal could stifle innovation and lead to higher costs for companies that rely on Figma and Adobe’s digital tools, as they cease to compete to provide customers with new and better products.” The watchdog has asked Adobe to come up with solutions that can allay its concerns about the deal. If Adobe's response proves unsatisfactory, the CMA will launch a deeper investigation into the deal and could ultimately block it, if such action is deemed necessary. The proposed deal was originally announced in September last year. Adobe said: “The combination…

  • Antarctic sea ice at record low for end of June, says Met Office

    The ice is 501,930 sq miles (1.3 million sq km) below the previous low record for this time of year – an amount that is more than five times the surface area of the UK. Dr Ed Blockley, who leads the Met Office’s Polar Climate Group, said: “Antarctic sea ice extent reaches a maximum around the end of September and a minimum around the end of February. “At the end of June, the extent of sea ice should be building to a mid-point between the maximum and the minimum. “However, this year the ice is expanding very slowly with the consequence that the extent is way below the long-term (1981-2010) average. “The annual minimum extent in February 2023 was the lowest since satellite records began in 1979, just over one million sq km (386,102 sq miles) below the long-term average. “The current…

  • BattleBots challenges Musk and Zuckerberg to bot-on-bot fight

    Las Vegas-based BattleBots - one of the best-known event organisers in the fast-growing sport of robot fighting, with a hit US television series - has invited Tesla founder Elon Musk and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to face off in a ferocious robot-on-robot fighting competition for the title of the most powerful tech CEO in the world. The invitation follows the reported cancellation of a cage fight between the two tech giants after Musk’s mother, Maye, shared her opposition to the match online, tweeting that she “cancelled the fight.” The two global tech moguls and their respective companies are invited to each design and build a formidable robot to fight in the 'BattleBox', a huge purpose-built robot combat arena in the centre of Las Vegas. “This would unleash an epic battle of innovation…

  • Hands-on review: Switchbot wireless hygrometer thermometer

    If there's one universal topic of conversation for every corner of the world, it's the weather. The climatic conditions. It's too hot, it's too cold, what's the humidity like? The more informed we are, the happier and more comfortable we can be. Knowledge is power. Of course, there are also specific situations where monitoring and maintaining a controlled temperature is critical, from keeping tropical pets and hothousing exotic plants to optimally storing cigars in humidors and precious vintage guitars in their cases. For all these uses and more, the Switchbot wireless hygrometer thermometer could be your well-informed temperature-monitoring friend. Image credit: Switchbot Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and with an IP65 rating to enable it to withstand…

  • Why faster adoption of robotics is key to industrial growth

    Digital innovation has accelerated significantly in the past few decades, with emerging technologies such as robotics, generative AI and intelligent automation creating new opportunities for driving efficiencies and innovation. The manufacturing industry has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of these technological advancements. Robotics-oriented production processes are most obvious in factories and manufacturing facilities. In fact, approximately 90 per cent of all robots in operation today can be found in such facilities. Apart from improving productivity and efficiency, robotics offers greater precision and safety, resulting in improved product quality and faster service delivery. Despite its many benefits, the UK manufacturing sector is not making the most of this technology. According…

  • Euclid telescope on a mission to uncover dark mysteries of the universe

    The two-tonne probe, named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, will be heading towards an area in space known as the second Lagrange point, where the gravitational forces of Earth and the Sun are roughly equal, creating a stable location for the spacecraft. The UK has contributed £37m towards the £850m mission, with scientists playing key roles in designing and building the probe and leading on one of the two scientific instruments on board. The aim of the mission is to shed light on two of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter. Professor Tom Kitching, of UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory – one of four science co-ordinators for Euclid - said: “The puzzles we hope to address are fundamental. “Are our models of the universe correct? What is dark…

  • Air taxis ready for take off in Canada with public support, survey says

    A nationwide study by Horizon Aircraft, a Canadian-based company specialising in hybrid electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aerial vehicles found that 73 per cent of Canadians support the development of the air taxi and eVTOL industry. Nearly four out of five (78 per cent) would be happy to fly in them once they are commercially operational. Just 7 per cent said they would never use an eVTOL, while 15 per cent are currently undecided. A major reason driving support for the industry is the potential to create jobs and boost the Canadian economy, whilst also helping cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing traffic congestion. Industry data shows the global air taxi and urban air mobility industry is forecast to see revenues grow from $2.3bn in 2021 to as much as $30.7bn by 2031…

  • Sponsored: Where Electronics, IoT Connectivity and Embedded Systems Converge

    There will be an audience of over 2000 people at the event - comprised of engineers, business leaders, technology journalists, industry analysts and investors. 75 influential companies and organisations will be exhibiting, and there will be a series of informative presentations, valuable networking sessions and lively panel discussions too. Among the numerous companies participating in the exhibition will be semiconductor vendors like Onsemi, NXP, STMicroelectronics, Nordic Semiconductor, Analog Devices and Sony Semiconductor, plus wireless module manufacturers such as Quectel, Telit Cinterion, and RAKwireless. IoT connectivity providers like Kigen, 1NCE and Wireless Logic will also be involved. Massimo Banzi, the visionary Co-founder and CTO of Arduino, will be among the speakers taking…

  • UK must invest in green steel and protect its industry, ministers warned

    Labour MP Stephen Kinnock urged ministers to follow EU proposals designed to protect the steel industry within the trade bloc, or face a “flood” of foreign steel into the UK. The Aberavon MP, whose constituency covers the Port Talbot steelworks, was speaking in the House of Commons a day after steelworkers from across the UK demonstrated in Parliament Square. They were calling for a “proper industrial strategy” for the sector, as new figures show almost 150,000 jobs have been lost in the industry over the past 40 years. The GMB union said its research suggests that between 1981 and 2021 almost 80 per cent of jobs in the entire steel sector have gone. Kinnock told the Commons: “Hundreds of steel workers gathered in Westminster yesterday to make it absolutely clear they feel that the government…

  • Hands-on review: Majority Quadriga Internet Radio Music System

    The Quadriga connected music system, from Cambridge-based brand Majority, is the bigger brother of the similarly spec'ed Bard but with the addition of a CD player and heftier speakers. Depending on your aural predilections - and possibly your age - the need for a CD player would probably be what sways your choice between the two models, as they are essentially the same otherwise. Sure, the Quadriga goes louder, but the Bard still has the potential to bother the neighbours when cranked. We've had the Quadriga on test, mostly because we have hundreds of CDs that have been sitting in a cupboard for far too long, their only compatible player in these modern times now being the car stereo. Delving back into the collection in a domestic situation has been quietly thrilling - and the Quadriga…

  • Book review: ‘The Chemical Code’, by Fiona Erskine

    There can’t be many characters in fiction who couldn’t care less about inheriting a goldmine. But Maria Jaqueline Ribeiro da Silva, protagonist of ‘The Chemical Code’ (Point Blank, £9.99, ISBN 9780861542031) has more important things on her mind. So pressing that they scarcely fade into the background even while being attacked and drugged by three goons in an agrochemical plant in São Paulo, Brazil. The henchmen unambiguously want to kill Jaq Silver, but she’s too smart for that. Recalling Shakespeare’s Hermia, though Jaq “be but little she is fierce”. And clever. Too clever for these bruisers, as she employs her senses to outsmart them, navigating her way out of trouble by using the laws of physics, her encyclopaedic knowledge of the smells of improvised anaesthetics and processed sugar…

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    E+T Magazine

  • ‘Walking’ through lost neighbourhoods possible with 3D digital maps

    By turning old maps into 3D digital models of lost neighbourhoods, the researchers aim to drive forward urban research and provide users with a view of the cities of the past.  The programme would allow people to use a virtual reality headset to “walk” through long-gone neighbourhoods – seeing the streets and buildings as they appeared decades ago, before they were lost to urban development projects or natural disasters.  But the digital models will be more than just a novelty – they will give researchers a resource to conduct studies that would have been nearly impossible before, such as estimating the economic loss caused by the demolition of historic neighbourhoods. “The story here is we now have the ability to unlock the wealth of data that is embedded in these Sanborn fire atlases…

  • Final safety inspection begins at Fukushima before treated wastewater is released

    The inspection at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant began today (Wednesday), one day after the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) had installed the last piece of equipment needed for the release – namely, the outlet of the undersea tunnel dug to discharge the wastewater one kilometre offshore. Tepco said the Nuclear Regulation Authority inspectors were to examine the equipment related to the treated water transfer and its safety systems as part of their three-day inspection from today until Friday. The permit for releasing the water could be issued around one week later, allowing Tepco to start discharging the water soon after, although an exact date has not yet been decided. The plan has faced fierce protests from local fishing groups concerned about safety…

  • Labour will take difficult choices on home-building, shadow housing secretary says

    Nandy used a speech in Manchester to criticise the Conservatives for being “too cowardly to take on a land market that inflates prices” and argued that the current system is “rigged against first-time buyers”. She vowed to “tilt the balance of power back” in favour of those looking to get on the housing ladder, pledging to use central government support to “help them make the leap into home ownership”. In an address to the Housing 2023 conference, the shadow minister said that Labour will deliver a “refreshed model of housebuilding” that will “put social and genuinely affordable housing at the very heart of our plans to jump-start the housebuilding industry”. She also told developers they can expect “transparent, long-term planning frameworks, quicker decisions and a more stable political…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Steelworkers stage protest outside Parliament

    The GMB union said its research suggests that between 1981 and 2021 almost 80 per cent of jobs in the entire steel sector have gone. Workers from across the country marched from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square calling for a “proper industrial strategy” and relief from the energy costs unions say are crippling the steel sector. Charlotte Childs, GMB national officer, said: “Under this government’s watch, the UK’s proud steel industry is being allowed to wither and die. Almost 150,000 jobs have gone – close to 80 per cent of the entire steel workforce. “A lack of industrial strategy and no support for crippling energy costs have left the industry at risk of ‘steel dumping’ from overseas. We need action now or the industry as we know it will cease to exist.” Image…

  • Book review: ‘Age of the City’ by Ian Goldin and Tom Lee-Devlin

    There are just two points I’d like to take issue with the authors and editors of this topical and otherwise beautifully written book about. Both relate to the front cover and are therefore hard to ignore – the title and the subtitle, both of which strike me as vague and potentially misleading. Let me explain. ‘Age’ is a polysemantic word that can mean, among other things, an epoch or era as well as duration or length of life. ‘Age of the City’, therefore, constitutes a classic, if unintended, double entendre – not a welcome thing on a book’s front cover. The authors must have had the former meaning (‘era’) in mind, but the title can be easily misconstrued as referring solely to the cities’ history. And whereas ‘Age of the City’ (Bloomsbury Continuum, £20, ISBN 9781399406147) does offer a…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Hands-on review: VKTRY Gold Insoles

    Athletes and sportspeople, both amateur and professional, will do a lot to boost their performance. You can spend many hours training to shave off milliseconds or add millimetres. And while you can’t buy elite performance... $200 is not much if it truly gives you an edge. These carbon-fibre sports insoles replace the factory-fitted insoles in your trainers. They’re designed to return the energy an athlete generates as explosive power, speed and agility. They also give more support, stability and shock absorption than the stock insoles found in most trainers, reducing sports injuries. The baseplate is 100 per cent aerospace-grade carbon fibre, with flexibility customised based on age, gender, body weight and sport. The top is also customised (3, 5 or 7mm thick) to suit the sport and shoe…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

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