Author: Robin Edgar

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

One small walking adjustment could delay knee surgery for years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nearly a quarter of people over the age of 40 experience painful osteoarthritis, making it a leading cause of disability in adults. Osteoarthritis degrades joint-cushioning cartilage, and there is currently no way of reversing this damage: the only option is to manage pain with medication, and eventually, joint replacement. Researchers from the University of Utah, Read more about One small walking adjustment could delay knee surgery for years[…]

Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says

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Russian hackers took control of a Norwegian dam this year, opening a floodgate and allowing water to flow unnoticed for four hours, Norway’s intelligence service has said. The admission, by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), marks the first time that Oslo has formally attributed the cyber-attack in April on Bremanger, western Norway, to Moscow. Read more about Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says[…]

German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers

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A recent ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has reopened the possibility that using ad blocking software could violate copyright law in Germany. In a decision last month, the BGH – the final court of appeals on civil and criminal matters – partially overturned an appeals court decision in an 11-year copyright Read more about German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers[…]

New Brain Device Is First to Read Out Inner Speech

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[…] on the cutting edge of this field, neuroscientists have more recently developed brain implants that can turn neural signals directly into whole words. These brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) largely require users to physically attempt to speak, however—and that can be a slow and tiring process. But now a new development in neural prosthetics changes that, Read more about New Brain Device Is First to Read Out Inner Speech[…]

Hair based toothpased could fix your tooth enamel

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Keratin-based films guide biomimetic enamel remineralization by promoting organized hydroxyapatite growth under physiological conditions. Advanced biophysical characterization confirms keratin’s structural adaptability and mineral ions-binding affinity, supporting mineral nucleation and hierarchical crystal assembly. This study establishes keratin as a promising, sustainable platform for functional enamel regeneration, offering a clinically translatable approach for repairing demineralized dental enamel Read more about Hair based toothpased could fix your tooth enamel[…]

Pluralistic: “Privacy preserving age verification” is bullshit

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[…] when politicians are demanding that technologists NERD HARDER! to realize their cherished impossibilities. That’s just happened, and in relation to one of the scariest, most destructive NERD HARDER! tech policies ever to be assayed (a stiff competition). I’m talking about the UK Online Safety Act, which imposes a duty on websites to verify the Read more about Pluralistic: “Privacy preserving age verification” is bullshit[…]

This Is the New Pebble Smartwatch, and Yes, It’s Now Called Pebble Again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After more than a decade, the Pebble smartwatch is back, and it already looks enticing for those of us who can’t be bothered with today’s health data-obsessed, sensor-filled, and all-too-weighty wearables. The company behind the revitalized watch shared its final designs for what’s coming, and it may be the simple smartwatch we’ve been missing since Read more about This Is the New Pebble Smartwatch, and Yes, It’s Now Called Pebble Again[…]

UK passport database images used in facial recognition scans

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Privacy groups report a surge in UK police facial recognition scans of databases secretly stocked with passport photos lacking parliamentary oversight. Big Brother Watch says the UK government has allowed images from the country’s passport and immigration databases to be made available to facial recognition systems, without informing the public or parliament. The group claims Read more about UK passport database images used in facial recognition scans[…]

Epic Games has another win over Apple and Google, in Oz

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Australia’s Federal Court has given Epic Games another win in its global fight against the way Apple and Google run their app stores. The Court yesterday delivered its oral decision in a long-running case that, like similar cases elsewhere, considered whether the tech giants abuse market power by preventing developers from pursuing distribution channels that Read more about Epic Games has another win over Apple and Google, in Oz[…]

Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing – Wikipedia

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This is a list of writing and formatting conventions typical of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, with real examples taken from Wikipedia articles and drafts. Its purpose is to act as a field guide in helping detect undisclosed AI-generated content. Note that not all text featuring the following indicators is AI-generated; large language models (LLMs), Read more about Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing – Wikipedia[…]

Be Warned: Lessons From Reddit’s Chaotic UK Age Verification Rollout

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Age verification has officially arrived in the UK thanks to the Online Safety Act (OSA), a UK law requiring online platforms to check that all UK-based users are at least eighteen years old before allowing them to access broad categories of “harmful” content that go far beyond graphic sexual content. EFF has extensively criticized the Read more about Be Warned: Lessons From Reddit’s Chaotic UK Age Verification Rollout[…]

FDA Approval of Vizz Eye Drops Revolutionizes Presbyopia (inablity to read with age) Treatment

Posted on by Robin Edgar

TL;DR: These are eyedrops which cure your growing inability to read as you age and last for 8 hours. […] presbyopia affects nearly one in two adults over 40, yet treatment options have remained largely static for decades, confined to optical corrections or surgical procedures. The FDA’s green light for Vizz — the first drop-based, Read more about FDA Approval of Vizz Eye Drops Revolutionizes Presbyopia (inablity to read with age) Treatment[…]

UK F-35B Still Stranded In Japan Is Awaiting Spare Parts. The one in India was there for a month.

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The U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B stealth fighter that was forced to make an emergency diversion to Japan last week is still there, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has told TWZ. The F-35B in question, from the Royal Navy carrier HMS Prince of Wales, landed at Kagoshima Airport, in Kirishima City, southwest Japan, at around Read more about UK F-35B Still Stranded In Japan Is Awaiting Spare Parts. The one in India was there for a month.[…]

Even Volkswagen Is Doing Horsepower Subscriptions Now

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[…] we’re used to hearing about subscriptions for improved performance and creature comforts on luxury cars, but VW’s trialing BMW and Mercedes-Benz’s greatest hits of consumer-hostile policies and gating an additional 27 horsepower behind a $22.30 monthly payment on the ID.3. Alternatively, owners can shell out $878 to unlock that power permanently, for the life Read more about Even Volkswagen Is Doing Horsepower Subscriptions Now[…]

EU Chat Control Plan Gains Support Again, Threatens Encryption, mass surveillance, age verification

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A controversial European Union proposal dubbed “Chat Control” is regaining momentum, with 19 out of 27 EU member states reportedly backing the measure. The plan would mandate that messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, must scan every message, photo and video sent by users starting in October, even if end-to-end encryption is in place, Read more about EU Chat Control Plan Gains Support Again, Threatens Encryption, mass surveillance, age verification[…]

New electrolyte highway enables low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells

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[…]Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have developed a new type of solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that operates at 300℃ (500°F) , a notable reduction from typical operating temperatures. “The team expects that their new findings will lead to the development of low-cost, low-temperature SOFCs and greatly accelerate the practical application of these devices,” said Read more about New electrolyte highway enables low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells[…]

You Can Now Tell Google Which Websites You Prefer in Search Results

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[…]If you frequently test features with Google Labs, you might remember trying this one out: Preferred Sources, as the name implies, lets you tell Google which websites you prefer to read news from. The goal, then, is to see pages from those sites in future Google searches about news stories, assuming those sites publish content Read more about You Can Now Tell Google Which Websites You Prefer in Search Results[…]

Israel is reportedly storing millions of Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers in the Netherlands and Ireland

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Israel has allegedly been recording and storing millions of phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as part of a large surveillance effort dating back to 2022, according to reporting by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call. The report suggests that the country has been shuttling these recordings to Microsoft Read more about Israel is reportedly storing millions of Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers in the Netherlands and Ireland[…]

Should Lyft and Uber Charge More if Your Battery Is Low? California May Soon Ban That

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s late at night, and you badly need a ride. Your cellphone’s battery is dangerously low. Should a ridehailing company such as Uber or Lyft be able to charge you more because its artificial intelligence programming thinks you’re desperate since it knows your phone is about to die? Not if Hayward Democratic Sen. Aisha Wahab Read more about Should Lyft and Uber Charge More if Your Battery Is Low? California May Soon Ban That[…]

Meta eavesdropped on period-tracker app’s users, SF jury rules

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Meta lost a major privacy trial on Friday, with a jury in San Francisco ruling that the Menlo Park giant had eavesdropped on the users of the popular period-tracking app Flo. The plaintiff’s lawyers who sued Meta are calling this a “landmark” victory — the tech company contends that the jury got it all wrong. The case Read more about Meta eavesdropped on period-tracker app’s users, SF jury rules[…]

Meet Meschers, MIT’s Tool for Building Paradoxical Digital Objects

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Meet “impossibagel,” a physically impossible bagel that mathematicians use to resolve intricate geometry problems. But impossibagel—and other “impossible objects” in mathematics—is notoriously difficult to replicate, and researchers haven’t been able to fully tap into their mathematical potential. That may no longer be a problem, thanks to a new tool. On Monday, researchers at MIT’s Computer Read more about Meet Meschers, MIT’s Tool for Building Paradoxical Digital Objects[…]

KLM, Air France latest major orgs to have data looted

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European airline giants Air France and KLM say they are the latest in a string of major organizations to have their customers’ data stolen by way of a break-in at a third party org. The airlines, which share a parent company, Air France-KLM Group, said in a joint statement that they “detected unusual activity on Read more about KLM, Air France latest major orgs to have data looted[…]

This vaccine uses dental floss instead of needles

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Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums. The testing found that the new technique stimulates the production of antibodies in mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the nose and lungs. “Mucosal surfaces are important, because Read more about This vaccine uses dental floss instead of needles[…]

Didn’t Take Long To Reveal The UK’s Online Safety Act Is Exactly The Privacy-Crushing Failure Everyone Warned About

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…]the real kicker is what content is now being gatekept behind invasive age verification systems. Users in the UK now need to submit a selfie or government ID to access: Reddit communities about stopping drinking and smoking, periods, craft beers, and sexual assault support, not to mention documentation of war Spotify for music videos tagged Read more about Didn’t Take Long To Reveal The UK’s Online Safety Act Is Exactly The Privacy-Crushing Failure Everyone Warned About[…]

Project Hyperion | interstellar generation ship design competition winners

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Project Hyperion explores the feasibility of crewed interstellar travel via generation ships, using current and near-future technologies. A generation ship is a hypothetical spacecraft designed for long-duration interstellar travel, where the journey may take centuries to complete. The idea behind a generation ship is that the initial crew would live, reproduce, and die on the Read more about Project Hyperion | interstellar generation ship design competition winners[…]