Web design news

• Why vacuum cleaner bags make the most effective face masks

  21-11-2020 17:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  You have probably become used to wearing a face mask in public. And you probably wear a fabric one, as we’ve been urged to save N95, FFP3, and other “clinical grade” masks for healthcare workers. This is despite science not knowing how well fabric masks work. To overcome this, a team that I am part of at the University of Cambridge decided to test various fabrics to see how well they would protect the wearer and the public when used in face masks. One element of fabric mask ef
  
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• Climate tech heavyweights EQT, Contrarian launch investment ‘playbook’

  16-04-2024 09:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  More than 50 European VCs and startups have joined forces to launch Climate Brick — a new community designed to fast-track investment in green technologies.  Climate Brick launched today along with what its founders claim to be one of the most comprehensive climate tech studies ever conducted. The report, featuring interviews with 100 climate experts and 3,000 companies, offers a roadmap for climate tech startups looking to scale.  “We really needed a common vocabulary and
  
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• To legislate or not to legislate? How EU and UK differ in their approach to AI

  15-04-2024 17:23 via thenextweb.com
  
  The boom of artificial intelligence has spurred a regulatory frenzy across the globe — and Europe is at the forefront of the developments. Both the EU and the UK are attempting to find the elusive balance between leveraging AI’s growth and mitigating potential risks — but their approaches differ significantly. The former has opted for a hands-on, risk-based approach, whereas the latter has promised a “pro-innovation” stance. However, with news emerging that the UK
  
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• Gamers suit up: You can now build ESA’s future lunar base in Fortnite

  15-04-2024 14:46 via thenextweb.com
  
  Space nerds delight: you can now play as an astronaut in Fortnite. You can even team up with your buddies to build a lunar habitat based on real future missions of the European Space Agency. Designed by Epic Games, Lunar Horizons is set at the lunar south pole. This is the point on the Moon deemed most suitable for human habitation due to the possible existence of water ice. Epic Games worked with ESA’s human and robotic exploration experts to create a lifelike 3D environment for the game
  
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• Digital displays and the end of the ‘screen age’

  15-04-2024 12:20 via thenextweb.com
  
  While it’s commonly said we live in the information era, I like calling it something else: the screen age. Over the past seventy years, we’ve seen displays seep into almost every aspect of our lives. We had televisions arrive in our homes, reshaping news and entertainment. Hot on their heels came smartphones, which changed communication and how we interact with the world at large. This tech altered the globe in ways we continue to grapple with, but it still doesn’t tell the fu
  
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• New hope for VanMoof as troubled ebike maker resumes sales

  12-04-2024 17:04 via thenextweb.com
  
  Dutch ebike maker VanMoof has begun selling ebikes on its own website once more, following an almost year-long hiatus after it went bankrupt in July last year.   The models on offer are refreshed versions of the S5 and A5, which were first released in 2022. Although the upgraded ebikes look exactly the same, they’ve been re-engineered in almost every aspect, says the company’s co-CEO Eliott Wertheimer. While this is just the beginning of VanMoof’s lengthy relaunch, t
  
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• Why enhanced rock weathering promises carbon-capturing fields of dreams

  12-04-2024 13:43 via thenextweb.com
  
  A weird technology has emerged as a leader in the quest for net zero. But this form of carbon capture, called Enhanced Rock Weathering (or ERW for short), still requires innovation — and government oversight. Society has a knack for embracing new technologies, often driven by a blend of vanity, curiosity, and a desire to be ahead of the curve. Whether it’s being the first to own the latest gadget or pioneering eco-friendly initiatives like EV charging ports, early adopters pave the
  
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• Intruders beware: New face-detecting AI security cam fires paintballs and teargas

  12-04-2024 12:54 via thenextweb.com
  
  Homeowners delight: a startup from Slovenia has created what might just be the most badass security camera ever made.  The “world-first” device is called Eve, but she ain’t no saint. Eve is an AI-powered home security system that fires paintballs and tear gas pellets at intruders.  Via computer vision technology — that also works at night — the cam can recognise individual faces and even animals. Users can designate guests as friend or foe using an app. (
  
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• New breakthrough promises ‘entirely secure’ quantum cloud computing

  11-04-2024 14:47 via thenextweb.com
  
  Ever heard of hybrid matter-photon implementation of verifiable blind quantum computing? No? Neither had we, until today. But it could just be what will make next-generation quantum computers securely accessible to “millions of individuals and companies” — without exposing any of their data. At least, according to scientists at Oxford University Physics. A team of researchers at its UK Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub claim to have hit a major milestone for connecting two
  
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• Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish opens in Germany

  11-04-2024 14:03 via thenextweb.com
  
  German startup Bluu Seafood today launched Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish. The facility in Hamburg brings lab-grown seafood a step closer to the market. Bluu had previously developed the controversial food in a small lab in Lübeck, Germany. The new site expands the work across 2,000 square metres of customised research, production, and office space. At the plant’s core are new fermenters for cultivating muscle, fat, and tissue cells from Atlantic
  
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• The state of open source in Europe

  11-04-2024 14:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  Open source is at a crossroads. For the past few years, venture capital has directly or indirectly paid for many of the contributors and much of the infrastructure it needed to keep going. That was until the past 24 months or so, when funding started to slow down, leading to less internal development or funding resources going toward open source. Companies suddenly had to justify themselves, have a real business model, cut costs, and fundamentally start to return something to investors. On the
  
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• Space tourism balloon startup unveils ‘luxury’ capsule design

  11-04-2024 11:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  A space tourism company promising stratospheric balloon rides has unveiled the vehicle’s capsule design. Halo Space is building the balloon for zero-emission commercial flights to altitudes of up to 40km. Tickets will cost a whopping €150,000 each. On each flight, a pilot and eight passengers will enter the pressurised cabin. The helium balloon will then gradually ascend with minimal G-forces to the stratosphere. From this perch above the sky, passengers will get unique views of the
  
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• ‘British DARPA’ to build AI gatekeepers for ‘quantitative safety guarantees’

  11-04-2024 07:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  A British R&D unit today unveiled a futuristic vision of “quantitative safety guarantees” for AI. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) compares the guarantees to the high safety standards in nuclear power and passenger aviation. In the case of machine learning, the standards involve a probabilistic guarantee that no harm will result from a particular action. At the core of ARIA’s plan is a “gatekeeper” AI.  This digital sentinel will ensure th
  
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• Green transition at the centre of EU-China tech rivalry

  10-04-2024 17:09 via thenextweb.com
  
  With the geopolitical landscape turning more unstable by the day, EU relations with China are also becoming increasingly turbulent. At the core of the rising tensions lies the quest for tech supremacy as well as economic and national security. “In a world powered by technology, those who lead are those who control the most critical technologies, and their supply chains,” EUcompetition chief Margrethe Vestager said during a speech on Tuesday. With cleantech one of the critical techno
  
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• Max Planck spinout nets €20M to build ‘stellarator’ fusion machine

  10-04-2024 13:56 via thenextweb.com
  
  A German startup has secured new funding for a peculiar twisted-looking reactor that could prove a quicker path to clean, virtually limitless fusion energy.  Proxima Fusion has raised €20mn as it looks to bring its designs for the so-called stellarator fusion reactor to life.  “We are working to deliver a demonstrator of net-energy production in continuous operation by 2031, and a first-of-a-kind power plant in the mid-2030s,” Dr Francesco Sciortino, CEO and co-founde
  
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• Meta’s AI chief: LLMs will never reach human-level intelligence

  10-04-2024 12:10 via thenextweb.com
  
  There’s no escaping the hype around artificial general intelligence. Barely a day passes without a new headline about the concept, which envisions computer systems outperforming humans at various cognitive tasks. In the last month alone, a trio of tech luminaries have added fresh proclamations. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggested AGI would arrive within five years. Ben “father of AGI” Goertzel forecasted a mere three. Elon Musk typically made the boldest prediction for
  
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• TNW Podcast: Jean-David Malo on EU money for startups; quantum without noise

  10-04-2024 11:45 via thenextweb.com
  
   Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about a promising quantum breakthrough, a public funding disaster in Poland, the first Macintosh in Europe, and much more. The guest of the show is Jean-David Malo, Director of the Executive Agency for EIC and SMEs
  
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• Italy sets up €1B AI fund, mulls new penalties for the tech’s misuse

  09-04-2024 17:54 via thenextweb.com
  
  Backed by state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Italy is committing €1bn to AI development over the course of the next five years. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni first announced the plan for a dedicated AI fund last month. “The purpose of this mechanism is clearly to act as a multiplier and serve to attract further investment,” Meloni said in a video message. CDP’s venture capital arm will provide the capital, divided into three areas. Some €580mn will be inve
  
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• Italy sets up €1B AI fund, mulling new penalties for the tech’s misuse

  09-04-2024 17:54 via thenextweb.com
  
  Backed by state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Italy is committing €1bn to AI development over the course of the next five years. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni first announced the plan for a dedicated AI fund last month. “The purpose of this mechanism is clearly to act as a multiplier and serve to attract further investment,” Meloni said in a video message. CDP’s venture capital arm will provide the capital, divided into three areas. Some €580mn will be inve
  
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• Autonomous vertical farming startup to grow crops in space in 2026

  09-04-2024 16:24 via thenextweb.com
  
  A vertical farming startup from the UK is taking its technology to new heights.   The UK Space Agency has awarded Vertical Future £1.5mn to build an autonomous farm in orbit. The high-tech veggie garden will be installed on the world’s first commercial space station.  Currently being constructed by US-based Axiom Space, the station is due to open its doors to eager astronauts in 2026. Space stations are an ideal testing ground for growing fruit, veggies, and even phar
  
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• Ukraine launches defence tech accelerator amid sector-wide boom

  09-04-2024 15:34 via thenextweb.com
  
  Ukraine has launched a defence tech accelerator programme for new startups aiming to deliver innovative solutions for military applications. The Defence Builder Accelerator is a four-month-long training programme, which will provide full-cycle support for product development. This includes 100 hours of online lectures and eight 1:1 meetings with mentors. As part of the programme, startups will also receive introductions to investors and further fundraising assistance. In addition, they will get
  
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• Finnish startup to launch ‘software-defined’ satellite with ESA

  09-04-2024 12:15 via thenextweb.com
  
  Helsinki-based startup ReOrbit is preparing for the first demonstration of its “software-enabled” satellite. This marks the next phase of the ESA’s UKKO programme, which works with ReOrbit to develop and test next-gen tech for Earth observation satellites. (Fun fact: Ukko is the god of the sky, weather, harvest, and thunder in Finnish mythology). ReOrbit’s first in-orbit demonstration satellite is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2025. It will be a crucial t
  
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• Finnish startup Basemark secures €22M to make driving safer with AR

  09-04-2024 09:00 via thenextweb.com
  
  Helsinki-headquartered Basemark has raised €22mn to bring its augmented reality (AR) “toolkit” to automakers across the globe. Basemark’s software, dubbed Rocksolid AR, is an AI-based computer vision system that enables carmakers to develop their own AR applications for Heads-up Displays (HUDs).  Car companies are embracing AR HUDs as a means of relaying important information to the driver. Instead of having to look down at a screen, HUDs project real-time driving gu
  
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• Do developers still need to learn programming languages in the age of AI?

  09-04-2024 08:36 via thenextweb.com
  
  If, as a software developer, you want to know what the most popular or best-paid programming languages are in the industry right now, there’s always a constant stream of surveys and reports to let you know. And career advice for developers will typically recommend that constant learning on the job is essential. But if AI can produce code from a few plain-speaking prompts, has learning programming languages become redundant? Certainly, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes that future generatio
  
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• US-China chip war further entangles Dutch semiconductor giant ASML

  08-04-2024 17:42 via thenextweb.com
  
  US pressure to block ASML from servicing the chip-making machines it has sold to China is increasing the Netherlands’ entanglement into an escalating geopolitical race for tech supremacy. Implementing a clear technological and economic decoupling strategy from China, the Biden Administration has introduced a series of thorough export rules aiming to restrict Beijing from obtaining key chip technology. But as the world’s only manufacturer of equipment for advanced chips, ASLM ha
  
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• Spotify’s new AI tool creates playlists for any setting or feeling you ask for

  08-04-2024 14:36 via thenextweb.com
  
  Spotify is further tapping AI to boost its services with a new feature that enables users to create playlists using text prompts. Dubbed AI Playlist, the feature is currently in beta and available on Android and iOS devices for premium subscribers in Australia and the UK. Interestingly, the new tool goes beyond standard playlist creation requests based on genre or artists. Instead, prompts can include activities, colours, places, and emojis. At the same time, users can get as creative as asking
  
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• Exciting New Tools for Designers, April 2024

  08-04-2024 14:30
  
  Welcome to our April tools collection. There are no practical jokes here, just practical gadgets, services, and apps to make life that little bit easier and keep you working smarter.
  
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• UK startup achieves major breakthrough in quest for space-based solar power

  08-04-2024 13:58 via thenextweb.com
  
  A UK startup has claimed a major breakthrough in its plans to beam solar energy from space to Earth. At a lab in Belfast, Oxford-based Space Solar managed to light up an LED sign by wirelessly beaming energy through the air, from all angles. This marks the world’s first 360-degree wireless power transmission, said the startup.   “This steerable power beaming capability is the heart of our solar power satellite design,” Martin Soltau, founder at Space Solar, told TNW.
  
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• UK startup achieves major breakthrough in quest for space-based solar

  08-04-2024 13:58 via thenextweb.com
  
  A UK startup has claimed a major breakthrough in its plans to beam solar energy from space to Earth. At a lab in Belfast, Oxford-based Space Solar managed to light up an LED sign by wirelessly beaming energy through the air, from all angles. This marks the world’s first 360-degree wireless power transmission, said the startup.   “This steerable power beaming capability is the heart of our solar power satellite design,” Martin Soltau, founder at Space Solar, told TNW.
  
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• Investing 101: Where to Start for Beginners

  07-04-2024 07:19 via skyje.com
  
  Entering the world of investing can feel like stepping into a labyrinth of complex terminology, overwhelming options, and daunting risks. However, with the right knowledge and guidance, investing can become a powerful tool for...
  The post Investing 101: Where to Start for Beginners appeared first on Skyje.
  
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