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Jul 15, 2021

Europe’s largest battery comes online

Posted by in category: futurism

Europe’s largest battery storage project – and the first to reach 100 megawatts of capacity – has begun operations at Minety in Wiltshire, UK.

Jul 15, 2021

NASA beams back spectacular images of Jupiter and our solar system’s biggest moon, Ganymede

Posted by in category: space

NASA’s Juno probe has flown closer to Jupiter and its largest moon, Ganymede, than any other spacecraft in more than two decades — and the images it beamed back of the gas giant and its icy orb are breathtaking.

Juno approached Ganymede on June 7, before making its 34th flyby of Jupiter the following day, traveling from pole to pole in under three hours.

Continue reading “NASA beams back spectacular images of Jupiter and our solar system’s biggest moon, Ganymede” »

Jul 15, 2021

“Neuroprosthesis” Restores Words to Man with Paralysis

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs, neuroscience

Researchers at UC San Francisco have successfully developed a “speech neuroprosthesis” that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to the vocal tract directly into words that appear as text on a screen.

The achievement, which was developed in collaboration with the first participant of a clinical research trial, builds on more than a decade of effort by UCSF neurosurgeon Edward Chang, MD, to develop a technology that allows people with paralysis to communicate even if they are unable to speak on their own. The study appears July 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Jul 15, 2021

Microsoft’s new 3D emoji include Clippy coming back to life in Office

Posted by in category: futurism

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Microsoft is overhauling its emoji to make them 3D. The new design includes the return of Clippy to replace the paperclip emoji in Office and more.

Jul 15, 2021

TSMC Expects Auto-Chip Shortage to Abate This Quarter

Posted by in categories: computing, mobile phones, transportation

The world’s largest contract chip maker said it expects the chip shortage that has hampered car makers to start easing in the next few months after it ramped up its production of auto chips.


Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract chip maker, said it expects the chip shortage that has hampered car makers to start easing in the next few months after it ramped up its production of auto chips.

The company is on track to increase output of microcontrollers used in cars by about 60% this year compared with last, Chief Executive C.C. Wei said in an earnings call on Thursday. However, he said, the broader semiconductor shortage could persist until 2022.

Continue reading “TSMC Expects Auto-Chip Shortage to Abate This Quarter” »

Jul 15, 2021

How quantum networking could transform the internet [Status Report]

Posted by in categories: computing, internet, quantum physics

A breakthrough in quantum computing could expose every communications link. The same breakthrough could make everything secure again. What could change everything are all the events in-between.

Jul 15, 2021

Tesla has Powerwall backlog of 80,000 orders worth over $500 million

Posted by in categories: computing, Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla currently has a Powerwall backlog of 80000 orders, which is worth over $500 million, but it can’t ramp up production to meet that due to the global chip shortage.

Tesla has been production constrained with the Powerwall for a long time.

The demand has been strong in several markets, like the US and Australia, but production hasn’t been to catch up despite significant ramp-ups.

Jul 15, 2021

IOS zero-day let SolarWinds hackers compromise fully updated iPhones

Posted by in categories: government, mobile phones

Flaw was exploited when government officials clicked on links in LinkedIn messages.

Jul 15, 2021

Talking about Hawking, Brazil’s new synchrotron light source

Posted by in category: futurism

In this podcast we chat about a new biography of Stephen Hawking and catch up with the director of Latin America’s only synchrotron light source.

Jul 15, 2021

Newly-Discovered ‘Borg’ DNA Is Unlike Anything Scientists Have Ever Seen

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

That said, the Borgs do clearly contain metabolic genes, which might be able to boost the energy metabolisms of Methanoperedens that host them. If so, these unique genetic elements could provide new insights into reducing methane emissions, which is a major aim for climate change mitigation plans.


These ‘Borg’ elements assimilated genes from other organisms, and could be used to help fight climate change.