Geeky international news on technology, business and culture.
Meet the Slovenian fitness tracker that won the Apple Watch ‘App of the Year’ award
2 December 2022 @ 11:39 am
Amongst the 2022 Apple Store Awards winners, Gentler Streak emerged as the Apple Watch App of the year. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the app — designed for iPhone and Apple Watch use — is a workout and fitness tracker that comes with a twist: a self-compassionate approach to exercise. Gentler Streak is the first product of Gentler Stories, a Slovenian-based mobile app studio that specializes in solutions for a sustainable lifestyle. The women-led company was founded in February 2021 by three Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni and one alumnus of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator. The…European MRI study provides experimental evidence indicating our brains are quantum
1 December 2022 @ 9:16 pm
We’ve long suspected the human brain is a quantum computer but we’ve never had any actual evidence to back this theory up. That is, until now. A pair of researchers from Trinity College in Dublin and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw recently published what may turn out to be landmark research in the quest to understand the human brain, consciousness, and the physical nature of the universe itself. The team’s paper, titled “Experimental indications of non-classical brain functions,” details an experimental MRI paradigm in which it appeared test subjects’ brains were entangled with their hearts. Entanglement refers to…If European SMEs are going to survive, they need tech now more than ever
1 December 2022 @ 3:07 pm
According to EU data, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Europe’s economy. They represent 99% of all businesses in the Union, employ around 100 million people, and account for more than half of Europe’s GDP. Yet, business survival for SMEs has been continuously challenged since the pandemic. After suffering the consequences of the COVID crisis, SMEs are now particularly affected by soaring energy prices, inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and changed consumer behavior. That’s especially the case in the retail, food, and restaurant sectors — among those that were hit hardest during the pandemic. A survey conducted by…This is why you can’t ride hail an autonomous taxi in Europe… yet
30 November 2022 @ 12:12 pm
If you read a lot of tech news, you’d think we’re merely months away from being able to hail a robotaxi in Europe. Unfortunately, this will be wrong: because those articles are most likely talking about projects in North America, and the EU’s approach to autonomous ridesharing and ride-hailing is vastly different to the US. So, we had a simple question: when will we be able to catch a robotaxi in Europe? And why can’t we yet? Currently, there are robotaxis (and a small number of roboshuttles) operating in the US, but only roboshuttles in Europe — terms we’ll define…Shell’s investment in renewables is wonderfully worrisome
29 November 2022 @ 3:25 pm
Amidst rising climate concerns and the current energy crisis, European oil companies are trying to pivot from fossil fuels to renewable power — and spending a huge amount while doing so. Most recently, Shell agreed to buy Europe’s biggest biogas producer, Denmark-based Nature Energy, for €1.9 billion. As part of the deal, the oil giant will acquire Nature Energy’s 14 industrial plants and an international development pipeline of about 30 plants across Europe and North America. This comes one month after rival BP announced its $4.1-billion plan to buy Archaea Energy, a US-listed biogas producer. What is biogas? Biogas —…6 European startups dragging rail networks into the future
29 November 2022 @ 1:51 pm
When it comes to B2B products, it’s all about building relationships, something that can be challenging for startups entering traditional industries like rail. But over the last few years, the rail industry has reached out to startups to provide a way to gain their insights and draw them into its ecosystem. Examples of these initiatives include the UK’s Rail Innovation Group — an incubator for rail startups — and Deutsche Bahn’s DB Mindbox. Since 2015, the latter in particular, has organised hackathons and supported more than 150 startups with their proof of concept, 60% of which continue their business cooperation…Here’s what to do if you’ve just been laid off
29 November 2022 @ 11:07 am
Suddenly finding yourself unemployed is a precarious position to be in, and not even severance pay can take the sting out of the confidence knock a lay-off brings. The unprecedented tech layoffs that have occurred in recent weeks at the likes of Meta and Stripe have sent shockwaves through the industry, as thousands of workers brace themselves for the task of finding a new role in a less buoyant job market. However, the industry as a whole remains stable. In fact, according to a report by Gartner, IT expenditure is expected to increase by 5.1% and hit $4.5 trillion by…This story London-based Flawless AI’s ‘True Sync’ tech is a revolutionary approach to film dubbing
28 November 2022 @ 10:21 pm
When British director Scott Mann’s latest film, Fall, was on the precipice of receiving an “R” rating from the MPAA over the number of “F” bombs dropped over its one hour and 47-minute run time, he did what any reasonable person would: he used artificial intelligence to digitally alter the actor’s performances in order to change the swear words into more palatable terms. A stroke of fricking genius, if you ask us. For those who are curious: about 35 “F” words stood between a PG-13 rating and an R rating. Mann’s dilemma, then, became trying to figure out how to…UK bets on green hydrogen for zero-carbon commercial aviation
28 November 2022 @ 1:37 pm
As much as we need to cut aviation’s emissions, batteries aren’t going to do the trick. To replace turbine-driven airliners with similarly-sized electric aircraft will require a monumental leap in battery technology — and we’re simply not there yet. So how can we make aviation sustainable? According to studies by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), aviation can achieve the net-zero 2050 target through the development of both sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green liquid hydrogen technologies. They also highlight that green liquid hydrogen is the optimum fuel for the first generation of zero-emission aircraft. As per the ATI, targeted…Why the future of AI is flexible, reusable foundation models
28 November 2022 @ 1:20 pm
Content provided by IBM and TNW When learning a different language, the easiest way to get started is with fill in the blank exercises. “It’s raining cats and …” By making mistakes and correcting them, your brain (which linguists agree is hardwired for language learning) starts discovering patterns in grammar, vocabulary, and word sequence — which can not only be applied to filling in blanks, but also to convey meaning to other humans (or computers, dogs, etc.). That last bit is important when talking about so-called ‘foundation models,’ one of the hottest (but underreported) topics in artificial intelligence right now. According to…
Carbon nanotubes have found use in everything from heart-rate-monitoring shirts to smart bandages to more efficient solar cells. Now, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have used them in a helmet lining foam that offers better impact protection than conventional foams.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, Science
Intestinal glucose levels are a major indicator of overall gastrointestinal health, and the current method of measuring them involves putting a catheter down the patient's throat. Soon, however, a swallowable "smart pill" could do the job much less intrusively.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, ScienceTags: 
Tokyo-based high-end audio brand Rotel has launched an integrated hi-fi amplifier that allows direct access to popular streaming services from the unit itself, in addition to offering wireless playback and analog connection to other hi-fi components. Just add speakers.Continue ReadingCategory: Home Entertainment, TechnologyTags: 
After two years of development, California startup Monarch Tractor has launched the AI-packing, all-electric MK-V Founder Series, and announced deliveries to its first customer – wine and spirits producer Constellation Brands.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: NVIDIA, 
Neuralink has given a rare update on its brain-computer interface, including some new telepathic typing from monkeys, a new surgical robot, and early progress toward restoring sight in the blind and returning movement and sensation to paraplegics.Continue ReadingCategory: Computers, TechnologyTags: 
Astronomers have spotted an incredibly bright flash of light beaming halfway across the universe. The strange light was estimated to throw off more light than one quadrillion Suns, and in an ironic twist came from one of the darkest objects possible.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: 
Scientists working with the Breakthrough Listen initiative have a powerful new tool at their disposal. A new instrument integrated into the Southern Hemisphere’s largest radio telescope has given it the capabilities to detect technosignatures of extraterrestrial intelligence, significantly widening the net in the search for alien life.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceT
If you’re a farmer with a herd of hundreds of cows, keeping tabs on their whereabouts and wellbeing can be challenging work, but we’ve seen how sensor tags might one day ease the burden. New research has taken this concept in an interesting, self-sustaining direction, demonstrating how smartwatch-style sensors strapped to cow ankles and necks can power themselves through the animals’ movements.Continue ReadingCategory: Good Thinking, Li
The name "McLaren" is synonymous with vehicles of the "super" and "hyper" variety, and soon its reputation might also extend to the "micro" end of the spectrum. This week, McLaren Applied, the electrification and technologies business formed and later sold by McLaren Group, spun off the new micro-mobility brand Lavoie. The company is looking to inject some serious F1 talent and know-how into creating personal mobility solutions. Its Series 1 e-scooter showcases a patented Flowfold mechanism that seamlessly collapses the sizable scooter down to an easy-carry package in one swift motion.
The Royal Navy has awarded a £15.4-million (US$18.9-million) contract to MSubs to build a cutting-edge robotic submarine, called Cetus, that will be the largest in Europe and will be capable of diving deeper than conventional submarines.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, TechnologyTags: Royal Navy, 
With early computers, you didn't boot up to a fancy schmancy desktop, or a screen full of apps you could easily poke and prod with your finger. No, those computers booted up to the command
On an
Websites have gotten a lot
Mysterious hooded computer guys doing mysterious hooded computer guy .. things! Who knows what kind of naughty digital mischief they might be up to?
Unfortunately, we now live in a world where this kind of digital mischief is literally rewriting the world's history. For proof