Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

Cloudflare debuts zero-trust browsing service for remote enterprise workforce

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Working from home, whether as a permanent option or as part of hybrid models, may become standard, and so the corporate world needs to consider how best to keep their networks protected whilst also catering to a remote workforce. To this end, Cloudflare has contributed a new zero-trust solution for browser sessions. On Tuesday, Read more about Cloudflare debuts zero-trust browsing service for remote enterprise workforce[…]

Suez Canal Totally Blocked After One Of the World’s Largest Container Ships Runs Aground

Posted on by Robin Edgar

One of the world’s most important international shipping arteries remains blocked this evening after the MV Ever Given, a 1,300-foot, 220,000-ton container ship, ran aground and got stuck almost completely sideways in the Suez Canal—cutting off a vital shipping lane between Europe and Asia and leading to a massive backup of over a hundred giant Read more about Suez Canal Totally Blocked After One Of the World’s Largest Container Ships Runs Aground[…]

Dutch ISPs and Webhoster TransIP hit by DDOS

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Several internet companies repelled DDOS attacks on Monday night. Among them are at least three Internet providers Freedom Internet, Tweak and Kabelnoord. Web hosting company TransIP also faced a DDOS attack targeting so-called name servers on Monday. While averting this attack and resolving its consequences, the company was hit by a second, more violent attack Read more about Dutch ISPs and Webhoster TransIP hit by DDOS[…]

Yandex’s autonomous cars have driven over six million miles in ‘challenging conditions’ in Moscow

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Yandex Yandex Yandex, Russia’s multi-hyphenate internet giant, began testing its autonomous cars on Moscow’s icy winter roads over three years ago. The goal was to create a “universal” self-driving vehicle that could safely maneuver around different cities across the globe. Now, Yandex says its trials have been a resounding success. The vehicles recently hit a major Read more about Yandex’s autonomous cars have driven over six million miles in ‘challenging conditions’ in Moscow[…]

Double bongcloud: why grandmasters are playing the worst move in chess

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An otherwise meaningless game during Monday’s preliminary stage of the $200,000 Magnus Carlsen Invitational left a pair of grandmasters in stitches while thrusting one of chess’s most bizarre and least effective openings into the mainstream. Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura of the United States had already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition Read more about Double bongcloud: why grandmasters are playing the worst move in chess[…]

Hong Kong’s fragile coral reefs boosted by 3D printing

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In jade waters off Hong Kong’s eastern shoreline, scientists are thrilled to spot a cuttlefish protecting her eggs inside an artificial, 3D-printed clay seabed helping to restore the city’s fragile coral reefs. […] Around 84 species of coral are found in Hong Kong’s waters, scientists say, more diverse than those found in the Caribbean Sea. Read more about Hong Kong’s fragile coral reefs boosted by 3D printing[…]

26 author report: bottom trawling for fish is responsible for one gigaton of carbon emissions a year—a higher annual total than (pre-pandemic) aviation emissions.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s been well established by now that the agricultural systems producing our food contribute at least one fifth of global anthropogenic carbon emissions—and up to a third if waste and transportation are factored in. A troubling new report points to a previously overlooked source: an industrial fishing process practiced by dozens of countries around the Read more about 26 author report: bottom trawling for fish is responsible for one gigaton of carbon emissions a year—a higher annual total than (pre-pandemic) aviation emissions.[…]

Nissan finds use for old LEAF batteries in their factory. Still no way to recycle them.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nissan has found a second-life for old LEAF batteries inside mobile machines that help workers at Nissan factories worldwide. The old batteries are being used in automated guided vehicles or AGVs used for various tasks inside the manufacturing facilities, including delivering parts to workers on the assembly line. AGVs are used as robotic mail carriers Read more about Nissan finds use for old LEAF batteries in their factory. Still no way to recycle them.[…]

Feeding cattle seaweed reduces their greenhouse gas emissions 82 percent

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A bit of seaweed in cattle feed could reduce methane emissions from beef cattle as much as 82 percent, according to new findings from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The results, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, could pave the way for the sustainable production of livestock throughout the world. “We now Read more about Feeding cattle seaweed reduces their greenhouse gas emissions 82 percent[…]

Microsoft Office 365 Down For Some Users

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Microsoft is reporting an outage of Office 365, including Microsoft Teams. On its status page, Microsoft adds: Users may be unable to access multiple Microsoft services. User impact: Users may be unable to access multiple Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365 services, including the Service Health Dashboard. More info: Any service that leverages Azure Active Read more about Microsoft Office 365 Down For Some Users[…]

These researchers in Switzerland can get electricity by compressing wood

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Researchers at ETH Zurich and Empa have chemically modified wood and made it more compressible, turning it into a mini-​generator. When compressed, it generates an electrical voltage. Such wood could serve as a biosensor or as a building material that harvests energy. Ingo Burgert and his team at public research university ETH Zurich and Swiss Read more about These researchers in Switzerland can get electricity by compressing wood[…]

Google halves Android app fee to 15% for lower-earning devs > $1m as monopolist hunters close in

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Google will reduce the service fee it charges Android developers from 30 per cent to 15 per cent, though only on the first $1m in Google Play revenue. […] Google’s change of heart follows a similarly structured fee abatement by Apple last year and lawsuits filed recently in the US, the UK, and Australia by Read more about Google halves Android app fee to 15% for lower-earning devs > $1m as monopolist hunters close in[…]

California bans website ‘dark patterns’, confusing language when opting out of having your personal info sold

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The rule amendments [PDF], just approved by the American state’s Office of Administrative Law, were proposed last October after a set of initial rules for enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) were adopted last August, a month after CCPA enforcement began. The CCPA amendments: Clarify that businesses operating offline need to provide a way Read more about California bans website ‘dark patterns’, confusing language when opting out of having your personal info sold[…]

Following Supreme Court ruling, Uber UK recognizes drivers as workers, offers min wage, holiday pay, pension

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After years of aggressively fighting any efforts to force it to recognize its drivers as employees, on Tuesday Uber performed a U-turn on the streets of Britain and recognized all of its drivers as working for the company rather than serving as freelancers. The change is the result of a court ruling last month that Read more about Following Supreme Court ruling, Uber UK recognizes drivers as workers, offers min wage, holiday pay, pension[…]

A Different Kind Of 3D Printer: Desktop Holograms

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Holograms aren’t new, but a desktop machine that spits them out could be available soon, presuming LitiHolo’s Kickstarter pans out. The machine will have a $1600 retail price and fits in a two-foot square. It can generate 4×5 inch holograms with 1mm hogels (the holo equivalent of a pixel). The machine allows for 23 view Read more about A Different Kind Of 3D Printer: Desktop Holograms[…]

Facebook is using AI to understand videos and create new products

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Facebook has taken the wraps off a project called Learning from Videos. It uses artificial intelligence to understand and learn audio, textual, and visual representations in public user videos on the social network. Learning from Videos has a number of aims, such as improving Facebook AI systems related to content recommendations and policy enforcement. The Read more about Facebook is using AI to understand videos and create new products[…]

Game Artists Not Happy That Developer Is Selling Their Nearly Decade-Old Work As NFTs

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[…] indie developer Jason Rohrer has added a new wrinkle by creating an NFT auction using artwork he commissioned from other people in 2012—long before NFTs were ever created. NFT is short for “non-fungible token,” a cryptographic token that is, unto itself, one of a kind. NFTs have been tied to images, videos, and even Read more about Game Artists Not Happy That Developer Is Selling Their Nearly Decade-Old Work As NFTs[…]

Having Lost Its Original Atmosphere, This Planet Is Now Growing a New One

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[…] Whereas Earth has always been a terrestrial, rocky world, GJ 1132 b began its life as a gaseous, Neptune-like planet. But as new research shows, a nearby red dwarf obliterated its original hydrogen- and helium-rich atmosphere with powerful radiation, so GJ 1132 b, having been stripped down to its rocky core, is now technically Read more about Having Lost Its Original Atmosphere, This Planet Is Now Growing a New One[…]

‘Wearable microgrid’ uses the human body to sustainably power small gadgets using sweat and motion

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a “wearable microgrid” that harvests and stores energy from the human body to power small electronics. It consists of three main parts: sweat-powered biofuel cells, motion-powered devices called triboelectric generators, and energy-storing supercapacitors. All parts are flexible, washable and can be screen printed onto clothing. Read more about ‘Wearable microgrid’ uses the human body to sustainably power small gadgets using sweat and motion[…]

Pixels Are Bluetooth Dice That Let You Play Online Games and Flash An internal LED

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A pair of good dice is a guilty pleasure for a tabletop RPG gamer. You can never have enough, but I can tell you this: None are going to be as flashy as Pixels. These dice have an ace up their sleeve that the rest of your dice don’t have, because they light up and Read more about Pixels Are Bluetooth Dice That Let You Play Online Games and Flash An internal LED[…]

Towards real-time photorealistic 3D holography with deep neural networks for every device

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The ability to present three-dimensional (3D) scenes with continuous depth sensation has a profound impact on virtual and augmented reality, human–computer interaction, education and training. […] The computationally taxing Fresnel diffraction simulation further places an explicit trade-off between image quality and runtime, making dynamic holography impractical4. Here we demonstrate a deep-learning-based CGH pipeline capable of Read more about Towards real-time photorealistic 3D holography with deep neural networks for every device[…]

Cracking of Sky CC app dealt major blow to organised crime

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The cracking of the expensive messaging app, called “Sky ECC,” was what allowed over 1,500 police officers across Belgium to be simultaneously deployed in at least 200 raids, many of which were centred around Antwerp and involved special forces. Investigators succeeded in cracking Sky ECC at the end of last year, according to reporting by Read more about Cracking of Sky CC app dealt major blow to organised crime[…]

Bucks County woman created ‘deepfake’ videos to harass rivals on her daughter’s cheerleading squad, DA says

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A Bucks County woman anonymously sent coaches on her teen daughter’s cheerleading squad fake photos and videos that depicted the girl’s rivals naked, drinking, or smoking, all in a bid to embarrass them and force them from the team, prosecutors say. The woman, Raffaela Spone, also sent the manipulated images to the girls, and, in Read more about Bucks County woman created ‘deepfake’ videos to harass rivals on her daughter’s cheerleading squad, DA says[…]

Two Companies are Turning Airborne CO2 into Diamonds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

two companies are selling diamonds made in a laboratory from CO2 that once circled the Earth. […] Each carat of a diamond removes 20 tons of CO2. That, he said, is more invisible gas than the average person produces in a year. With the purchase of a 2-carat diamond, Shearman pointed out, “you’re essentially offsetting Read more about Two Companies are Turning Airborne CO2 into Diamonds[…]

California will soon be home to the world’s first 3D-printed housing community

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Mighty Buildings, a construction tech company, specializes in 3D printed homes of varying sizes, presenting a technology-forward solution that could address issues like the housing crisis and sustainability. And so far, this formula has found the company success: last month, Mighty Buildings raised $40 million in a Series B round. The California-based business isn’t the Read more about California will soon be home to the world’s first 3D-printed housing community[…]