Interestingengineering
Jun 4, 13:06
World’s first floating fusion reactor-powered vessel could become reality with new project
Commercial shipping has a massive 2050 problem. Responsible for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas...
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World’s first floating fusion reactor-powered vessel could become reality with new project. Commercial shipping has a massive 2050 problem. Responsible for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas...
TL;DR:
Commercial shipping has a massive 2050 problem.
Interestingengineering
Jun 4, 13:01
US firm launches hypersonic coating that holds up to 800°F in extreme heat zones
Cambium, a U.S. aerospace defense company, has introduced ApexShield 3000, a new high-temperature coating designed to...
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US firm launches hypersonic coating that holds up to 800°F in extreme heat zones. Cambium, a U.S. aerospace defense company, has introduced ApexShield 3000, a new high-temperature coating designed to...
TL;DR:
aerospace defense company, has introduced ApexShield 3000, a new high-temperature coating designed to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 4, 08:55
New humanoid robot brings advanced perception and manipulation to industrial droids
A Vietnamese technology company has unveiled its latest humanoid robot, the VR-H3, at the IEEE...
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New humanoid robot brings advanced perception and manipulation to industrial droids. A Vietnamese technology company has unveiled its latest humanoid robot, the VR-H3, at the IEEE...
TL;DR:
A Vietnamese technology company has unveiled its latest humanoid robot, the VR-H3, at the IEEE...
Bbc
Jun 4, 05:15
Trust celebrates birth of rare lemur quadruplets
Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictu…
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Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictures BBC InDepth BBC Verify Football 2026 Business World of Business Technology of Business NYSE Opening Bell Technology Artificial Intelligence Intelligence Revolution AI v the Mind Tech Now…
TL;DR:
The trust says the quadruplets are incredibly rare, occurring in fewer than 6% of births worldwide.
Bbc
Jun 4, 05:14
Sanctuary's tiny wild cat to join breeding scheme
Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictu…
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Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictures BBC InDepth BBC Verify Football 2026 Business World of Business Technology of Business NYSE Opening Bell Technology Artificial Intelligence Intelligence Revolution AI v the Mind Tech Now…
TL;DR:
Rusty-spotted cats are also getting new enclosures at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden.
Interestingengineering
Jun 4, 01:23
New solid-state battery tech shrugs off -40°C cold and 55°C heat in tests
Researchers have developed a new solid-state polymer electrolyte that could help lithium metal batteries operate...
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New solid-state battery tech shrugs off -40°C cold and 55°C heat in tests. Researchers have developed a new solid-state polymer electrolyte that could help lithium metal batteries operate...
TL;DR:
Researchers have developed a new solid-state polymer electrolyte that could help lithium metal batteries operate...
Louwrentius
Jun 4, 00:12
DNS Is for People – Not for IT Infrastructure
The Domain Name System exists because it's difficult for people to remember IP addresses (185.15.59.224) and much easier to remember domain names (wikipedia.org).
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DNS Is for People – Not for IT Infrastructure. This article isn't against DNS for public services, but it questions if we should use DNS for internal IT infrastructure (independent of cloud vs. In these linked cases, the root-cause of the incident isn't the DNS system itself.
TL;DR:
The Domain Name System exists because it's difficult for people to remember IP addresses (185.15.59.224) and much easier to remember domain names (wikipedia.org).
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 18:09
Chloride-based seawater battery material delivers 10,000x boost in ion conductivity
Scientists have boosted the movement of chloride ions through a solid material by up to...
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Chloride-based seawater battery material delivers 10,000x boost in ion conductivity. Scientists have boosted the movement of chloride ions through a solid material by up to...
TL;DR:
Scientists have boosted the movement of chloride ions through a solid material by up to...
Spectrum
Jun 3, 18:00
7 Ways New Engineers Can Flourish in the Age of AI
New graduates’ careers are unfolding in an era when AI is not optional. The most successful engineers treat artificial intelligence as leverage, not competition. Here are seven tips to help keep young professionals in demand no matter how quickly the field’s tools evolve. 1. Master the fundamentals first. AI tools can help you code, but you still need strong fundamentals in: Data structures and algorithms for problem-solving. Operating systems, databases, and networking for system-level understanding. Core programming languages such as C++ , Java , and Python . AI can autocomplete syntax, but if you don’t understand how things work under the hood, you’re likely to struggle to debug or optimize. 2. Learn how to work with AI, not against it. The best engineers will not try to out-code AI. Instead, they will learn to: Write clear prompts to generate better code snippets. Review and debug AI-generated code for accuracy, performance, and security. Use AI for productivity boosts while still exercising judgment. Think of AI as a teammate. The real skill is knowing when to trust it and when not to. 3. Build projects that showcase end-to-end thinking. Employers increasingly look for engineers who can design and build systems, not just solve problems. Create projects that show you can: Define requirements clearly. Use AI tools responsibly within the workflow. Deliver a product that scales and is maintainable. 4. Sharpen your system design skills early. Even junior engineers are now asked questions about basic system design with AI. Expect to explain to prospective employers: How you would responsibly integrate AI into a system. How to design fallbacks when AI fails. How to ensure scalability and reliability. 5. Develop strong communication skills. Today’s engineers don’t just code in isolation. You will be expected to: Explain design choices to teammates and stakeholders. Document decisions clearly. Collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams. This is one area where AI cannot replace you. Clear communication is a career accelerant. 6. Stay curious and keep learning. The tech industry moves fast, and AI is accelerating that pace. Cultivate habits such as: Following industry news, blogs, and open-source projects. Experimenting with new AI tools, frameworks, and libraries. Engaging in communities such as GitHub , IEEE Collabratec , LinkedIn , and Medium . Employers value engineers who keep themselves sharp and relevant. 7. Think beyond coding. AI will increasingly handle routine coding tasks. The differentiators for you will be: Problem-framing: Can you take a vague idea and turn it into a solution? Architectural judgment: Can you design systems that scale and last? Ethical awareness : Can you spot risks in AI use and address them responsibly? For more career advice, subscribe to the IEEE Spectrum Career Alert Newsletter . The biweekly newsletter features the latest information on jobs, education, management, and the engineering workplace.
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7 Ways New Engineers Can Flourish in the Age of AI. Master the fundamentals first. Learn how to work with AI, not against it.
TL;DR:
How to design fallbacks when AI fails.
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 16:45
US researchers use sound waves to mimic atomic behavior, advance computing
A collaboration between researchers from Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the...
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US researchers use sound waves to mimic atomic behavior, advance computing. A collaboration between researchers from Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the...
TL;DR:
A collaboration between researchers from Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 16:32
World’s first two-seat Gripen F jet can coordinate drone swarms for added lethality
Sweden-based Saab has rolled out the world’s first Gripen F fighter jet at a ceremony held at its facilities in Linköping.
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Sweden-based Saab has rolled out the world’s first Gripen F fighter jet at a ceremony held at its facilities in Linköping. It is the two-seat variant of the Gripen E series, which has been developed to meet the training and operational requirements of modern air forces. The order included 28 single-seat Gripen E variants and eight two-seat Gripen F aircraft.
TL;DR:
Sweden-based Saab has rolled out the world’s first Gripen F fighter jet at a ceremony...
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 15:27
Watch: Shanghai firm unveils 1.2m humanoid robot with dual brains and compact design
A Shanghai-based robotics company has unveiled a compact humanoid robot that marks the firm’s expansion...
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Watch: Shanghai firm unveils 1.2m humanoid robot with dual brains and compact design. A Shanghai-based robotics company has unveiled a compact humanoid robot that marks the firm’s expansion...
TL;DR:
A Shanghai-based robotics company has unveiled a compact humanoid robot that marks the firm’s expansion...
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 15:16
US firm uses megawatt-class hybrid-electric CT7 turboprop plane engine for tests
GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight. The company successfully completed...
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US firm uses megawatt-class hybrid-electric CT7 turboprop plane engine for tests. GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight. The company successfully completed...
TL;DR:
GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight.
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 15:16
US firm uses megawatt-class hybrid-electric CT7 turboprop plane engine for flight tests
GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight. The company successfully completed...
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US firm uses megawatt-class hybrid-electric CT7 turboprop plane engine for flight tests. GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight. The company successfully completed...
TL;DR:
GE Aerospace is edging towards a major milestone in electrified flight.
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 14:37
New Alabama facility sets stage for Lockheed Martin’s Next-Gen Interceptor manufacturing
Stay informed about the latest advancements in military technology, defense strategies, and global conflicts. Explore the intersection of technology and the military world.
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Stay informed about the latest advancements in military technology, defense strategies, and global conflicts. Explore the intersection of technology and the military world. Northrop Grumman’s Jackal air-launched cruise missile has completed a flight test milestone, advancing the program toward operational readiness.
TL;DR:
Lockheed Martin has opened a new production facility in Huntsville, Alabama, dedicated to manufacturing the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 3, 13:24
US: 5th-gen VELA nuclear reactor fleet to get 3D-printed parts with new deal
Industrial additive manufacturing is entering the commercial nuclear power sector through a new production agreement...
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US: 5th-gen VELA nuclear reactor fleet to get 3D-printed parts with new deal. Industrial additive manufacturing is entering the commercial nuclear power sector through a new production agreement...
TL;DR:
Industrial additive manufacturing is entering the commercial nuclear power sector through a new production agreement...
Spectrum
Jun 3, 11:00
What It Takes for Future-Ready Power Distribution
This sponsored article is brought to you by Black & Veatch . The biggest challenge facing utilities today isn’t what it seems. It’s not demand, even as load growth accelerates. It’s not extreme weather, even as “major events” become routine. It’s not cybersecurity, even as connections expand across the grid. The real challenge is this: Distribution systems were designed for a different reality. Long gone are the days of predictable demand, one-way power flow and isolated disruptions. At Black & Veatch, we see that leading utilities are no longer debating whether to modernize. They’re deciding how quickly they can do it, and how to do it at scale. Across grid modernization programs globally, three truths consistently emerge. They define what it takes to prepare the distribution system for what’s next: 1. Outage response is not a resilience strategy Resilience is being redefined in real time. A strategy centered on mobilizing crews and restoring service as quickly as possible is reactive, and increasingly insufficient. Resilience has to shift upstream into integrated system design. That starts with hardening. Stronger poles, undergrounding and structural upgrades all have a role, particularly in high-risk corridors. We’re also seeing meaningful gains from how the network is configured and how quickly it can respond without waiting on manual intervention. This is where distribution automation programs can change outcomes. Strategically placed reclosers, automated switches and fault indicators help contain disruptions before they spread. When combined with feeder reconfiguration and updated protection strategies, distribution automation investments allow utilities to set more aggressive recovery targets and achieve measurable reductions in outage duration and customer impact. 2. Future-readiness depends on DERs at scale Forecasting is less and less reliable. Only 19 percent of utilities report strong confidence in their ability to predict future load growth, according to the Black & Veatch 2025 Electric Report . Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) like solar, storage, EVs and behind-the-meter generation are exciting solutions; but they fundamentally change how the system operates. Power is no longer just delivered. It’s injected, stored and redirected in ways the system was never designed to manage. At scale, these challenges show up quickly — particularly on feeders where distributed generation is approaching or exceeding hosting capacity. Protection coordination becomes more difficult when fault current comes from multiple directions. Voltage becomes less predictable as generation fluctuates throughout the day. And planning models must now account for highly variable, location-specific behavior. Distribution modernization is fundamentally changing how the system is designed and operated so it can absorb disruption, manage bi-directional flows and respond in real time. Adapting to bi-directional power flow requires more than incremental updates. Leading utilities are responding by building flexibility into the system, moving beyond static assumptions toward dynamic hosting capacity and interconnection studies, planning that incorporates DER, EV adoption and localized load growth, and infrastructure aligned with the communications and control needed to manage it. 3. The edge must be intelligent, visible and secure As system stress and complexity increase, utilities need far greater visibility and control over the network. Historically, utilities relied on customer calls, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) at the substation level and field crews to understand what was happening on the system. That model doesn’t hold up. You can’t effectively manage a system you can’t see. Plus, the most critical events are increasingly happening beyond the substation — on feeders, laterals, and at the edge where DER and customer behavior are interacting with the grid. Grid-edge technologies have become essential. Sensors, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and automated switching provide the raw data and control needed to move from reactive to proactive operations. In more advanced deployments, utilities are creating centralized control environments that allow operators to see and manage the distribution system in near real time. That capability is enabled by: Advanced communications networks to form the backbone of real-time grid visibility Distribution Management System (DMS) and Outage Management System (OMS) to enable faster, more coordinated system response Analytics, AI and machine learning to improve situational awareness, anticipate system conditions, and support operational decision-making The same connectivity enabling this real-time visibility and control also introduces new vulnerabilities, blurring the line between physical and cyber risk, yet many utilities manage them separately. Only 22 percent have unified teams in place, even as threats continue to rise, including a 50 percent increase in s...
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What It Takes for Future-Ready Power Distribution. In more advanced deployments, utilities are creating centralized control environments that allow operators to see and manage the distribution system in near real time. Only 22 percent have unified teams in place, even as threats continue to rise, including a 50 percent increase in s...
TL;DR:
You can’t effectively manage a system you can’t see.
Hackaday
Jun 3, 08:00
A Diffraction Grating Makes This Clock Readable
We’ve seen just about every possible way to make a clock here at Hackaday over the years. So it’s rare to have a first, but here we are with [Twisted …read more
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A Diffraction Grating Makes This Clock Readable. We’ve seen just about every possible way to make a clock here at Hackaday over the years. So it’s rare to have a first, but here we are with [Twisted …read more
TL;DR:
So it’s rare to have a first, but here we are with [Twisted …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 22:25
Airbus flies world’s longest-range jet targeting nonstop 22-hour Sydney-London trips
A modified fuel system, an extended range, and the ability to remain airborne for nearly...
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Airbus flies world’s longest-range jet targeting nonstop 22-hour Sydney-London trips. A modified fuel system, an extended range, and the ability to remain airborne for nearly...
TL;DR:
A modified fuel system, an extended range, and the ability to remain airborne for nearly...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 20:06
Japan-US team builds world’s first silicon spintronic chip for smart computers
Scientists in Japan and the US have made a big achievement in smart computing after...
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Japan-US team builds world’s first silicon spintronic chip for smart computers. Scientists in Japan and the US have made a big achievement in smart computing after...
TL;DR:
Scientists in Japan and the US have made a big achievement in smart computing after...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 19:01
Microsoft reboots computing with Solara OS built for agent-first device ecosystem
Microsoft is laying the groundwork for what it believes will be the next era of...
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Microsoft reboots computing with Solara OS built for agent-first device ecosystem. Microsoft is laying the groundwork for what it believes will be the next era of...
TL;DR:
Microsoft is laying the groundwork for what it believes will be the next era of...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 18:29
MIT’s hybrid thruster gives briefcase-sized satellites greater orbital agility
MIT engineers have developed a hybrid propulsion system that combines the raw push of chemical...
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MIT’s hybrid thruster gives briefcase-sized satellites greater orbital agility. MIT engineers have developed a hybrid propulsion system that combines the raw push of chemical...
TL;DR:
MIT engineers have developed a hybrid propulsion system that combines the raw push of chemical...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 17:55
Intel-backed memory tech powers 26-billion-parameter models on PCs with just 16 GB RAM
Phison says its new memory extension technology can run a 26-billion-parameter language model on a...
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Intel-backed memory tech powers 26-billion-parameter models on PCs with just 16 GB RAM. Phison says its new memory extension technology can run a 26-billion-parameter language model on a...
TL;DR:
Phison says its new memory extension technology can run a 26-billion-parameter language model on a...
Techcrunch
Jun 2, 17:44
Anthropic scales Claude Mythos to critical infrastructure in 15 countries
The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now. Get Disrupt Early Bird savings of up to $410 by May 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now.
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Anthropic scales Claude Mythos to critical infrastructure in 15 countries. The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Anthropic’s Claude Mythos is at the heart of Project Glasswing.
TL;DR:
Many who will now have access are companies or nonprofits that maintain codebases which other organizations and governments rely upon, Anthropic noted in the blog post.
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 17:07
Finland’s world-first nuclear waste repository is built to last 100,000 years
Finland is preparing to clear one of the final regulatory hurdles for what is expected...
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Finland’s world-first nuclear waste repository is built to last 100,000 years. Finland is preparing to clear one of the final regulatory hurdles for what is expected...
TL;DR:
Finland is preparing to clear one of the final regulatory hurdles for what is expected...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 16:27
Urban bowerbirds prefer human-made items over natural materials for courtship
Unsual mating rituals are emerging in modern times. In a bizarre wild twist, a female...
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Urban bowerbirds prefer human-made items over natural materials for courtship. Unsual mating rituals are emerging in modern times. In a bizarre wild twist, a female...
TL;DR:
Unsual mating rituals are emerging in modern times.
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 16:25
US opens first national lab production line for safer grid-scale batteries
The US has recently launched a new battery production line, which is expected to help...
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US opens first national lab production line for safer grid-scale batteries. The US has recently launched a new battery production line, which is expected to help...
TL;DR:
The US has recently launched a new battery production line, which is expected to help...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 16:05
Brazil launches world-first engine built for ethanol-powered grid electricity
Brazil has launched what is being described as the world’s first engine designed to run...
TL;DR:
Brazil has launched what is being described as the world’s first engine designed to run...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 15:25
USS Herring submarine wreck identified 82 years after disappearing in World War II
The U.S. Navy has officially confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck...
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USS Herring submarine wreck identified 82 years after disappearing in World War II. Navy has officially confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck...
TL;DR:
Navy has officially confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 15:25
Watch: Vietnam’s first humanoid robot Dyno targets security and household roles
Vietnamese technology company VinDynamics has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Dyno, marking the country’s entry...
TL;DR:
Vietnamese technology company VinDynamics has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Dyno, marking the country’s entry...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 13:52
Space laundry solved: Cold plasma tech kills bacteria on astronaut clothing
While SpaceX and Blue Origin engineers work against the clock to prepare their respective spacecraft...
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Space laundry solved: Cold plasma tech kills bacteria on astronaut clothing. While SpaceX and Blue Origin engineers work against the clock to prepare their respective spacecraft...
TL;DR:
While SpaceX and Blue Origin engineers work against the clock to prepare their respective spacecraft...
Coveillance
Jun 2, 13:24
A walking tour of surveillance infrastructure in Seattle
Coveillance Toolkit ↗ → STREET SEEN: Pittsburgh surveillance walking tour → rise of tech-fueled surveillance → mapping data stories → Seattle surveillance walking tour → countersurveillance yoga → pe…
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This workshop was first run as part of two pilot workshops with the Tech Equity Coalition, in partnership with the ACLU of Washington, in October 2019. A zine based on this work was included at the CtrlZ.AI zine fair and the HOT MESS digital exhibition in 2020.
TL;DR:
Coveillance Toolkit ↗ → STREET SEEN: Pittsburgh surveillance walking tour → rise of tech-fueled surveillance → mapping data stories → Seattle surveillance walking tour → countersurveillance yoga → people's field guide to surveillance Standalone Pages ↗ Donate News Partners A walking tour of surveillance infrastructure in Seattle Note : this guide is a work in progress and may change at any time!
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 13:22
World’s largest crane places 551-ton nuclear reactor vessel at UK’s new nuclear plant
Big Carl, the world’s largest crane, lifted a 551-ton reactor pressure vessel (RPV) into place...
TL;DR:
Big Carl, the world’s largest crane, lifted a 551-ton reactor pressure vessel (RPV) into place...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 13:07
China: Pudu unveils semi-humanoid learning robot built to transform factory automation
Chinese robotics firm Pudu has unveiled a next-generation industrial semi-humanoid robot designed for manufacturing and...
TL;DR:
Chinese robotics firm Pudu has unveiled a next-generation industrial semi-humanoid robot designed for manufacturing and...
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 12:49
100% hydrogen-powered jet engine from Rolls-Royce reaches full power in landmark test
A major milestone in the race toward sustainable aviation has been achieved after a Rolls-Royce...
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100% hydrogen-powered jet engine from Rolls-Royce reaches full power in landmark test. A major milestone in the race toward sustainable aviation has been achieved after a Rolls-Royce...
TL;DR:
A major milestone in the race toward sustainable aviation has been achieved after a Rolls-Royce...
Content
Jun 2, 10:00
Direct-to-Cell Technology: Enabling Satellite Connectivity for Legacy Devices
Direct-to-cell technology uses LEO satellites as spaceborne cell towers. It delivers LTE services to existing smartphones without hardware changes, bridging global coverage gaps. What Attendees will Learn How DTC works as a spaceborne cell tower — LEO satellites carry LTE eNodeB payloads in regenerative mode. How they serve unmodified phones using quasi-earth-fixed multi-beam antennas. How the satellite compensates for Doppler shift and time delay on thenetwork side. Why Doppler shift and round-trip time are critical challenges — A LEO satellite’s high velocity causes carrier frequency offsets in OFDMA systems. Pre-compensation at a reference point helps, but cell-edge users still face residual Doppler. How spectrum sharing and regulation shape DTC deployment — DTC has no dedicated spectrum allocation. It relies on spectrum sharing between terrestrial and satellite operators or re-farmed MSS bands. How national regulations like the FCC SCS framework govern access. Where DTC fits in the evolution toward 5G NTN and 6G — DTC is an interim technology offering fast time-to-market satellite services. It bridges the gap until 3GPP NR-NTN matures. How NR-NTN will bring purpose-built NTN features and international spectrum frameworks. Download this free whitepaper now!
More:
Direct-to-Cell Technology: Enabling Satellite Connectivity for Legacy Devices. How the satellite compensates for Doppler shift and time delay on thenetwork side. How spectrum sharing and regulation shape DTC deployment — DTC has no dedicated spectrum allocation.
TL;DR:
Direct-to-cell technology uses LEO satellites as spaceborne cell towers.
Interestingengineering
Jun 2, 09:15
From fuel waste to fabrics: Engineered bacteria convert waste glycerol into green nylon
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have engineered microbes that...
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From fuel waste to fabrics: Engineered bacteria convert waste glycerol into green nylon. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have engineered microbes that...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have engineered microbes that...
Bbc
Jun 1, 22:31
'Mornings and nights no longer exist': A day in the hottest place in India
What a day in India's hottest district reveals about life on the frontline of extreme heat.
TL;DR:
What a day in India's hottest district reveals about life on the frontline of extreme heat.
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 18:09
New plasma-powered rocket design could make solid motors restartable
The Aerospace Corporation has been advancing a concept for a restartable solid rocket motor (RSRM),...
TL;DR:
The Aerospace Corporation has been advancing a concept for a restartable solid rocket motor (RSRM),...
Spectrum
Jun 1, 18:00
IEEE President’s Note: Designing a Safer Digital World for Kids
Children born after 2013 are the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital systems, which weren’t designed with them in mind. One‑third of the world’s Internet users are younger than 18, according to UNICEF , yet these systems shaping their daily lives were built for adults. They were optimized for engagement and designed long before people understood how profoundly digital environments influence children. For engineers and technical professionals, online safety is not an abstract policy debate. It is a design challenge that demands rigor, systems thinking, and ethical foresight. Governments around the world are also beginning to recognize the problem. Policymakers from across Australia, Brazil, the European Union, Indonesia, and the United States are responding to risks engineers have long understood: Addictive features, inappropriate content, opaque data practices, and algorithmic systems shape user behavior in ways that their creators did not fully predict. For years, technology moved faster than governance. Now governance is trying to catch up. Global Shift Toward Design Reform Supporting National Digital Ambitions In Athens this year I met with senior leaders of Greek government agencies and key national research institutions. Greece is moving quickly on digital transformation and responsible technology governance, and our discussions reinforced IEEE’s role as a trusted, neutral collaborator. We focused on supporting Greece’s ambitions in digital modernization and public‑sector innovation. We also discussed responsible AI and age-appropriate digital design in Europe and elsewhere. These engagements, grounded in shared values and long‑term commitment, strengthened IEEE’s presence within the European ecosystem and opened new pathways for collaboration on trustworthy AI and child‑focused digital well‑being. The European Union and the United Kingdom have been among the first to act, embedding age‑appropriate digital design into their broader children’s rights agenda. Drawing on IEEE expertise and global best practices, Indonesia is the first country in Asia, and Brazil is the first country in Latin America, to adopt age-appropriate design regulation. Australia is aiming to limit access to harmful content and addictive design features through age restrictions on certain platforms. And in the United States, in addition to federal efforts, states including California, New York, and Utah are enacting approaches including age-appropriate design principles. Across these efforts, a shared realization is emerging. Protecting children online is not simply about filtering content or adding parental controls. It requires rethinking the architecture of digital systems regarding how data is collected, how algorithms make decisions, how interfaces influence attention, and how AI interacts with the developing minds of young users. Engineers and technical professionals understand that design choices are never neutral. They encode values, incentives, and assumptions. When the user is a child, those choices carry greater weight. This is where IEEE’s work becomes more essential. Protecting Children Online For more than a decade, IEEE has been building technical and ethical foundations for safer digital experiences. The first IEEE standard on age-appropriate design in 2021 marked a turning point. It offers a structured, principled approach to designing with children’s rights in mind. The Institute ’s 2022 article “ Use a New IEEE Standard to Design a Safer Digital World for Kids ” highlights how the standard helps translate those principles into engineering practice. Today the IEEE Standards Association ’s (SA) Trustworthy Digital Experiences portfolio provides a practical, technically grounded framework for governments and industry. Spanning ethical design, data governance, algorithmic transparency, and child‑focused digital well‑being, it has already initiated discussions with government stakeholders around the world. This work helps bridge the gap between engineering realities and policy ambitions. No single country can solve these challenges alone. Many policymakers lack access to the combined expertise in technology, governance, and children’s rights needed to act quickly and effectively. This collaborative effort helps close that gap. The stakes are high. Without coordinated action, public policy will continue to lag behind technology, leaving children exposed to risks that could have been mitigated through thoughtful design. But with the right frameworks, governments can ensure digital systems respect children’s rights, support healthy development, and promote well‑being. IEEE’s emerging standards and collaborative technology policy work offer a path forward. By grounding national efforts in evidence‑based, rights-aligned design principles, IEEE is helping governments move from reactive regulation to proactive, coherent, and globally informed strategies for protecting children online. Safeguarding childh...
More:
IEEE President’s Note: Designing a Safer Digital World for Kids. We also discussed responsible AI and age-appropriate digital design in Europe and elsewhere. The first IEEE standard on age-appropriate design in 2021 marked a turning point.
TL;DR:
Children born after 2013 are the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital systems, which weren’t designed with them in mind.
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 15:50
New wearable ground station shrinks FPV drone control system by over 50%
A Los Angeles-based defense technology company has unveiled a wearable ground control station for first-person-view...
TL;DR:
A Los Angeles-based defense technology company has unveiled a wearable ground control station for first-person-view...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 15:09
7 animal-inspired robots solving real-world engineering challenges
Nature has spent millions of years perfecting movement, efficiency, and survival. Engineers are now borrowing...
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7 animal-inspired robots solving real-world engineering challenges. Nature has spent millions of years perfecting movement, efficiency, and survival. Engineers are now borrowing...
TL;DR:
Nature has spent millions of years perfecting movement, efficiency, and survival.
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 14:07
China brings world’s first 30 MW supercritical CO2 waste heat power plant online
The world’s first supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) waste-heat power plant has gone fully online in...
TL;DR:
The world’s first supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) waste-heat power plant has gone fully online in...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 13:54
Rare look inside giant underground nuclear missile silo preserved as a museum
Deep beneath the Arizona desert, hidden behind blast doors and layers of reinforced concrete, sits...
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Rare look inside giant underground nuclear missile silo preserved as a museum . Deep beneath the Arizona desert, hidden behind blast doors and layers of reinforced concrete, sits...
TL;DR:
Deep beneath the Arizona desert, hidden behind blast doors and layers of reinforced concrete, sits...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 13:45
SpaceX gets US approval to test new Starfall capsules for space manufacturing
SpaceX will soon test reentry vehicles that could enable in-space manufacturing and rapid point-to-point cargo...
TL;DR:
SpaceX will soon test reentry vehicles that could enable in-space manufacturing and rapid point-to-point cargo...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 13:40
Africa’s first crane-less 6 MW turbine installed amidst extreme wind conditions
A big engineering challenge for remote clean energy projects was solved in Namibia. Nabrawind, a...
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Africa’s first crane-less 6 MW turbine installed amidst extreme wind conditions. A big engineering challenge for remote clean energy projects was solved in Namibia. Nabrawind, a...
TL;DR:
A big engineering challenge for remote clean energy projects was solved in Namibia.
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 13:34
New flexible cryogenic cable design stays pliable below 20 mK for quantum systems
Scaling quantum computers beyond a few dozen qubits has long run into a deceptively unglamorous...
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New flexible cryogenic cable design stays pliable below 20 mK for quantum systems. Scaling quantum computers beyond a few dozen qubits has long run into a deceptively unglamorous...
TL;DR:
Scaling quantum computers beyond a few dozen qubits has long run into a deceptively unglamorous...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 13:30
NVIDIA’s humanoid robot packs 2,070 teraflops of ‘brain’ power for real-world learning
NVIDIA has introduced what it calls the first open humanoid robot reference design built on...
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NVIDIA’s humanoid robot packs 2,070 teraflops of ‘brain’ power for real-world learning. NVIDIA has introduced what it calls the first open humanoid robot reference design built on...
TL;DR:
NVIDIA has introduced what it calls the first open humanoid robot reference design built on...
Spectrum
Jun 1, 11:06
Why Sardinians Are Fighting the Renewable Energy Transition
“Not in my backyard” is the rallying cry of citizens everywhere resisting projects proposed for their locality. Whether it’s affordable housing, a waste treatment plant, or a new data center, they may recognize the benefit of the activity. They just don’t want it near them. And the roots of that resistance differ from place to place. When it comes to the ongoing transition from fossil fuels to renewables, companies and policymakers need to know where, exactly, people are coming from. The Italian island of Sardinia is a textbook example. As IEEE Spectrum ’s power and energy editor Emily Waltz discovered when she traveled there last October, Sardinian opposition to wind and solar projects runs deep. It spurred a quarter of the voting population to queue up in public squares in 2024 to sign a petition banning all construction of renewable energy. Waltz was surprised. She went there to see a promising new grid-scale energy storage system that uses domes inflated with carbon dioxide. While reporting on that project, she interviewed residents, engineers, activists, and professors about their attitudes toward climate change and the Italian government’s grand plans for renewable energy on the island. And Waltz soon learned of Sardinians’ profound antipathy toward renewable energy and its deep ties to a history of invasion, occupation, and exploitation stretching back 2,700 years. It started with the Phoenicians and then extended through the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Iberians. Sardinia was absorbed into a newly unified Italy in 1861, and it became an autonomous region of Italy in 1948. The island’s population is justifiably suspicious of outsiders, including the Italian government. “When you’re in Sardinia, the weight of history—you can feel it like in the air,” Waltz told me. “And it gets passed down from one generation to the next.” Now, Italy needs Sardinia to produce even more power to meet the country’s climate goals—something that Sardinians see as Rome’s problem, not theirs. “Sardinia already exports about 30 percent of its electricity. It’s not like they need more,” Waltz says. “So it’s hard to make the case to build, build, build.” The result of Waltz’s old-fashioned shoe leather reporting is this month’s cover story . She notes that the Sardinians she talked to aren’t climate-change deniers, and they don’t object to renewables per se. They just don’t like the way corporations and Italian policymakers are trying to plug into Sardinia like it’s one giant battery rather than the home of an ancient and proud people. “I think Sardinians would be more receptive to renewable projects if it was more of a ground-up, grassroots approach,” Waltz says. Indeed, this homegrown approach is already working in some places in Sardinia. She knows of more than 50 projects, called energy communities, where the residents are deploying renewables themselves. The idea also holds promise for other places struggling to get locals to buy into the renewable-energy transition. The Sardinian experience is both a cautionary tale and a blueprint. Ignore the weight of history that communities carry and your project risks failure. Meet the people where they are and you might just get somewhere. The same lesson applies whether you’re in Sulawesi or sub-Saharan Africa . You just have to show up to learn it.
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Why Sardinians Are Fighting the Renewable Energy Transition. “I think Sardinians would be more receptive to renewable projects if it was more of a ground-up, grassroots approach,” Waltz says. She knows of more than 50 projects, called energy communities, where the residents are deploying renewables themselves.
TL;DR:
“When you’re in Sardinia, the weight of history—you can feel it like in the air,” Waltz told me.
Hackaday
Jun 1, 11:00
Reverse Engineering A Rock Bottom NES Clone
The NES was Nintendo’s smash hit console of the 1980s, the international version of their Japanese Famicom system. It wasn’t a particularly complex device, so it was the subject of …read more
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Reverse Engineering A Rock Bottom NES Clone. The NES was Nintendo’s smash hit console of the 1980s, the international version of their Japanese Famicom system. It wasn’t a particularly complex device, so it was the subject of …read more
TL;DR:
The NES was Nintendo’s smash hit console of the 1980s, the international version of their Japanese Famicom system.
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 09:28
75,000 mph-speeding meteor behind massive sonic boom over Massachusetts, NASA says
It was a nice, quiet Saturday afternoon in New England until the sky decided to...
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75,000 mph-speeding meteor behind massive sonic boom over Massachusetts, NASA says. It was a nice, quiet Saturday afternoon in New England until the sky decided to...
TL;DR:
It was a nice, quiet Saturday afternoon in New England until the sky decided to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 08:20
Stanford’s new iISM microscope images living cells at 120-nanometer resolution
Stanford University researchers have built a microscope capable of imaging nanostructures inside living cells in...
TL;DR:
Stanford University researchers have built a microscope capable of imaging nanostructures inside living cells in...
Hackaday
Jun 1, 08:00
Classically-named Argus Robot Is Terminator Meets Tumbleweed
If you were making a multi-limbed symmetric nightmare of a robot, where else would you look for a name but Greek Mythology? The team at Duke University that came up …read more
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Classically-named Argus Robot Is Terminator Meets Tumbleweed. If you were making a multi-limbed symmetric nightmare of a robot, where else would you look for a name but Greek Mythology? The team at Duke University that came up …read more
TL;DR:
If you were making a multi-limbed symmetric nightmare of a robot, where else would you look for a name but Greek Mythology?
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 07:13
US military’s high-performing defense products could soon be built with next-gen ceramic
A Virginia-based firm is set to advance ceramic materials research for extreme aerospace and defense...
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US military’s high-performing defense products could soon be built with next-gen ceramic. A Virginia-based firm is set to advance ceramic materials research for extreme aerospace and defense...
TL;DR:
A Virginia-based firm is set to advance ceramic materials research for extreme aerospace and defense...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 06:13
Ukraine pairs MBDA Meteor missiles with Saab Gripen fighter to counter Russian glide bombs
Russia’s widespread use of glide bombs over Ukraine has created a persistent air defense problem...
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Ukraine pairs MBDA Meteor missiles with Saab Gripen fighter to counter Russian glide bombs. Russia’s widespread use of glide bombs over Ukraine has created a persistent air defense problem...
TL;DR:
Russia’s widespread use of glide bombs over Ukraine has created a persistent air defense problem...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 06:04
Cutting-edge uncrewed underwater vessels with advanced weapons to boost warfighting readiness
AUKUS (Australia, U.K. and U.S) partners are set to develop, produce and deploy cutting-edge technologies...
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Cutting-edge uncrewed underwater vessels with advanced weapons to boost warfighting readiness. AUKUS (Australia, U.K. and U.S) partners are set to develop, produce and deploy cutting-edge technologies...
TL;DR:
and U.S) partners are set to develop, produce and deploy cutting-edge technologies...
Hackaday
Jun 1, 05:00
Making a Zippy FDM Printer out of Wood
Generally, the frame and other structural parts of an FDM printer use steel or similar, but could you use wood instead for that truly artisan look? As [Mitsu Makes] demonstrates …read more
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Generally, the frame and other structural parts of an FDM printer use steel or similar, but could you use wood instead for that truly artisan look? As [Mitsu Makes] demonstrates …read more
TL;DR:
Generally, the frame and other structural parts of an FDM printer use steel or similar, but could you use wood instead for that truly artisan look?
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 03:08
800-year-old Feldioara Fortress belonged to Teutonic Knights, confirms new study
A new study has perhaps proven a hypothesis debated for eight centuries surrounding the mysterious...
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800-year-old Feldioara Fortress belonged to Teutonic Knights, confirms new study. A new study has perhaps proven a hypothesis debated for eight centuries surrounding the mysterious...
TL;DR:
A new study has perhaps proven a hypothesis debated for eight centuries surrounding the mysterious...
Interestingengineering
Jun 1, 02:44
US scientists use machine learning to generate electrolyte formulations for next-gen batteries
Electrolytes used in batteries are far from simple compounds; they are carefully balanced mixtures of...
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US scientists use machine learning to generate electrolyte formulations for next-gen batteries. Electrolytes used in batteries are far from simple compounds; they are carefully balanced mixtures of...
TL;DR:
Electrolytes used in batteries are far from simple compounds; they are carefully balanced mixtures of...
Hackaday
Jun 1, 02:00
Off-Grid OCR Server Powered by iPhone
Running an optical character recognition (OCR) server might sound like it would need some powerful hardware, like a rack-mounted, water-cooled machine, or at least a nice desktop or laptop. But …read more
TL;DR:
Running an optical character recognition (OCR) server might sound like it would need some powerful hardware, like a rack-mounted, water-cooled machine, or at least a nice desktop or laptop.
Refractor
Jun 1, 01:36
This sticky substance could be a rare example of Neanderthal medicine
Neanderthals used tar extracted from birch tree bark as a glue to haft their tools, according to previous research. It now appears this dark, sticky substance may have had multiple applications. Continue Reading Category: Archaeology , Science
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This sticky substance could be a rare example of Neanderthal medicine. Neanderthals used tar extracted from birch tree bark as a glue to haft their tools, according to previous research. It now appears this dark, sticky substance may have had multiple applications.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Archaeology , Science
Newatlas
Jun 1, 01:03
Tiny triangular cabin perches off a slope in Ecuador's cloud forest
A compact elevated shelter by Baquio Arquitectura has been installed on the slopes above Mindo, in Ecuador’s Chocó cloud forest. Dubbed Casa 6-3, the project is a tiny timber retreat with a lightweight footprint, overlooking the surrounding mountains and rainforest. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Cabins , Tiny Footprint , Building and Construction , Shelter , Home
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Tiny triangular cabin perches off a slope in Ecuador's cloud forest. A compact elevated shelter by Baquio Arquitectura has been installed on the slopes above Mindo, in Ecuador’s Chocó cloud forest. Dubbed Casa 6-3, the project is a tiny timber retreat with a lightweight footprint, overlooking the surrounding mountains and rainforest.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Cabins , Tiny Footprint , Building and Construction , Shelter , Home
Refractor
Jun 1, 00:29
Light-stealing animal the first found to 'import' its bioluminescent power
The rules of biology have been torn up by a small fish in the Pacific that steals light-producing molecules from its food in the only known example of kleptoproteinism. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Tohoku University , Fish , Ocean , Bioluminescence , Animal science , Marine Biology , Genome , DNA , Evolution
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Light-stealing animal the first found to 'import' its bioluminescent power. The rules of biology have been torn up by a small fish in the Pacific that steals light-producing molecules from its food in the only known example of kleptoproteinism.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Tohoku University , Fish , Ocean , Bioluminescence , Animal science , Marine Biology , Genome , DNA , Evolution
Newatlas
May 31, 23:07
10-oz octagonal trigger stove targets extreme backcountry conditions
Finding the modern backpacking stove market unfit for its hard-charging, bushwhacking, peak-scrambling hunts, Colorado's Roughridge Stove Co. determined to make a tougher, more inextinguishable breed of all-in-one backcountry cook system. It reached for the lightest, toughest materials available and reconfigured a few critical specs to create a system that travels lightly, holds up to use after abuse, and works in all weather. It's the Highcountry stove, and it's built to work when and where you need it, every time. Continue Reading Category: Outdoor Cooking , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Hunting , Camping , Backpacking , Stoves , Cooking , Outdoors and Camping , Lightweight
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10-oz octagonal trigger stove targets extreme backcountry conditions. determined to make a tougher, more inextinguishable breed of all-in-one backcountry cook system. It's the Highcountry stove, and it's built to work when and where you need it, every time.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Outdoor Cooking , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Hunting , Camping , Backpacking , Stoves , Cooking , Outdoors and Camping , Lightweight
Hackaday
May 31, 23:00
Hackaday Links: May 31, 2026
If you’re located in the Northeast United States and thought you heard an explosion yesterday afternoon, it wasn’t just your imagination — multiple sources have now confirmed that a 1 …read more
TL;DR:
If you’re located in the Northeast United States and thought you heard an explosion yesterday afternoon, it wasn’t just your imagination — multiple sources have now confirmed that a 1 …read more
Newatlas
May 31, 22:03
Review: Pocket phone thermal camera a big step up from its solid predecessor
The latest compact smartphone camera from Thermal Master may look a fair bit like its earlier pocket-sized model we covered, but looks are deceiving – and the new P4 makes some pretty big advances that you'll see as soon as you plug it in. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Consumer Electronics , Thermal Imaging , Artificial Intelligence , Digital imaging , Photography , Portable Video , Portable , Reviews
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Review: Pocket phone thermal camera a big step up from its solid predecessor. The latest compact smartphone camera from Thermal Master may look a fair bit like its earlier pocket-sized model we covered, but looks are deceiving – and the new P4 makes some pretty big advances that you'll see as soon as you plug it in.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Consumer Electronics , Thermal Imaging , Artificial Intelligence , Digital imaging , Photography , Portable Video , Portable , Reviews
Hackaday
May 31, 20:00
A Camera Viewfinder Makes A Great TV
When we think of CRT camera viewfinders, most of us probably imagine the tiny CRTs you’d find in a 1980s camcorder. They’re super cute and a load of fun to …read more
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A Camera Viewfinder Makes A Great TV. When we think of CRT camera viewfinders, most of us probably imagine the tiny CRTs you’d find in a 1980s camcorder. They’re super cute and a load of fun to …read more
TL;DR:
When we think of CRT camera viewfinders, most of us probably imagine the tiny CRTs you’d find in a 1980s camcorder.
Interestingengineering
May 31, 19:07
US’ oil, natural gas production could be maximized with highly-advanced lab’s new method
Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are taking significant steps that can help...
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US’ oil, natural gas production could be maximized with highly-advanced lab’s new method. Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are taking significant steps that can help...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are taking significant steps that can help...
Newatlas
May 31, 18:43
Woojer Vest 4: How much do you like to sweat?
When I first saw the Woojer vest about seven or eight years ago on Kickstarter, I remember thinking that it sounded fun, but maybe a little gimmicky. Either way, I wanted to try it. So when Woojer recently reached out and asked if I wanted to review it, I said, "Heck yeah, send it over!" Now that I have it and have spent many hours using it in various scenarios, I think I've concluded whether it's worth the ~US$350 price of admission for a vest fitted with bass-thumping transducers. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Haptic , wearable electronics , Games , VR , Reviews
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Woojer Vest 4: How much do you like to sweat?. When I first saw the Woojer vest about seven or eight years ago on Kickstarter, I remember thinking that it sounded fun, but maybe a little gimmicky. Either way, I wanted to try it.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Haptic , wearable electronics , Games , VR , Reviews
Interestingengineering
May 31, 18:24
40-picosecond Mn3Sn spintronic device switches 1,000x faster with no extra heat
Every processor that has ever existed shares the same fundamental problem: speed and heat are...
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40-picosecond Mn3Sn spintronic device switches 1,000x faster with no extra heat. Every processor that has ever existed shares the same fundamental problem: speed and heat are...
TL;DR:
Every processor that has ever existed shares the same fundamental problem: speed and heat are...
Hackaday
May 31, 17:00
4-bit Relay Logic Counter Begs To Have Its Buttons Pushed
What’s one to do with some nice little relays of questionable pinout, and prototyping board? How about a quietly clicky 4-bit counter using relay logic with tons of buttons? [Agatha …read more
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4-bit Relay Logic Counter Begs To Have Its Buttons Pushed. What’s one to do with some nice little relays of questionable pinout, and prototyping board? How about a quietly clicky 4-bit counter using relay logic with tons of buttons?
TL;DR:
What’s one to do with some nice little relays of questionable pinout, and prototyping board?
Write
May 31, 15:51
An Analysis of GrapheneOS's Server Infrastructure
GrapheneOS has a well-earned reputation for serious security work. Cellebrite — the forensics company law enforcement pays to crack phones — [publicly lists GrapheneOS as one of the few Android devic…
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An Analysis of GrapheneOS's Server Infrastructure. It's a project with servers, infrastructure, and an organisation behind it. Reading it reveals some surprising choices.
TL;DR:
But GrapheneOS is more than a phone OS.
Interestingengineering
May 31, 15:31
Pentagon’s UFO files showcase mysterious human-shaped aerial object, stun Chinese expert
Among the many recently released UAP videos, one clip has drawn particular attention from Zhang...
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Pentagon’s UFO files showcase mysterious human-shaped aerial object, stun Chinese expert. Among the many recently released UAP videos, one clip has drawn particular attention from Zhang...
TL;DR:
Among the many recently released UAP videos, one clip has drawn particular attention from Zhang...
Newatlas
May 31, 15:03
Compact tiny house hits sweet spot between size and features
The Tommy is a much more capable tiny house than its compact size implies. With a length of just 7.2 m (23.6 ft), it sleeps up to six people and also has some notable features, including a space-saving folding staircase and optional off-grid operation. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
More:
Compact tiny house hits sweet spot between size and features. The Tommy is a much more capable tiny house than its compact size implies. With a length of just 7.2 m (23.6 ft), it sleeps up to six people and also has some notable features, including a space-saving folding staircase and optional off-grid operation.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
Hackaday
May 31, 14:00
Loading Sega Genesis Games Off a Vinyl Record
Recently [Throaty Mumbo] took a poke at another daft idea, in the form of loading Sega Genesis games off vinyl records. Although a whacky idea, it’s made possible through the …read more
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Recently [Throaty Mumbo] took a poke at another daft idea, in the form of loading Sega Genesis games off vinyl records. Although a whacky idea, it’s made possible through the …read more
TL;DR:
Recently [Throaty Mumbo] took a poke at another daft idea, in the form of loading Sega Genesis games off vinyl records.
Spectrum
May 31, 13:00
This DIY Bipedal Robot Used Pneumatic “Air-Muscles” Instead of Motors
In 1987, Richard Greenhill , a British photographer who was fascinated by (but had no actual training in) robotics, decided he wanted to build a life-size humanoid that could do useful things, like carrying luggage. He was working at a startup called Intergalactic Robots, but he couldn’t convince anyone there to build such a machine, so he set about building one himself, in his attic. To help with his project, he organized a weekly get-together of a dozen or so like-minded folks. Every Wednesday night, his wife, Sally, would make a big pot of spaghetti, and the group would tinker with components scavenged from old printers and picked up from junkyards. They called themselves the Shadow Group. They eventually constructed several different robots, but their main project was the two-legged Shadow Walker. In 1987, photographer Richard Greenhill organized a weekly gathering of DIY enthusiasts to work on projects in his attic, including the Shadow Walker. Richard Greenhill and David Buckley Greenhill’s friend David Buckley , a robotics and animatronics expert he’d met at Intergalactic, sketched out a rough design based on medical textbooks of human bone structure and muscle movement. The robot’s skeleton, made of maple, was greatly simplified—only one bone in the lower leg and a single wide toe on each foot. The ankle’s double-axis design allowed for two degrees of movement. The knee had no complicating kneecap. Greenhill didn’t want the robot to use motors, so its movement was controlled using compressed air to extend and contract 28 “air-muscles”—his version of a McKibben muscle, invented in the 1950s to mimic musculature with pneumatics. The muscles were connected to the bones across eight joints (hips, knees, ankles, toes), which provided 12 degrees of freedom. RELATED: The Short, Strange Life of the First Friendly Robot The robot’s headless torso held the control valves, electronics, and computer interfaces. It stood 168 centimeters tall and 46 cm wide and weighed about 38 kilograms. The group managed to get the robot to stand up reliably and balance itself; it could even regain its center if pushed a little. But walking turned out to be more of a challenge. Rich Walker joined the group as a teenager and began writing software to get the robot to stand. He was particularly interested in using neural networks to solve balancing problems, although he ran into a number of hardware obstacles, including the unreliability of the sensors and the valves, and the robot’s overall fragility. Over time, Walker and the team developed a standard library of routines to control the robot. Walker wrote a detailed description of the Shadow Walker in 1999, which is available on David Buckley’s website. The 1st International Robot Olympics By the time the Shadow Group began developing Shadow Walker, engineers in academia and industry had been working on robotics for several decades. The world’s first industrial robot, the Unimate , debuted in 1961, and in 1967 Donald Michie and others began building a series of Freddy robots to investigate machine intelligence. The IEEE created its first dedicated robotics organization in 1984 when it established the IEEE Robotics and Automation Council, which became the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in 1987. Also in 1987, the nonprofit International Federation of Robotics was established to promote research, development, use, and cooperation in the field of robotics. As Shadow Walker pushed the limits for a DIY humanoid robot, industrial humanoids were also gaining ground. In 1986, Honda began working on its experimental (E-series) and later the prototype (P-series) humanoid robots, finally unveiling the P2 in 1996. The P2 stood 183 cm tall and weighed 210 kg. It was the first humanoid capable of stable, autonomous walking. This work eventually led to the development of the groundbreaking ASIMO . Greenhill’s friend, roboticist David Buckley, consulted medical textbooks to create Shadow Walker’s humanoid design. Richard Greenhill and David Buckley In the late 1980s, the public was both fascinated and horrified by the potential of robots. Businesses saw robots as a way to increase productivity, while workers worried they would take their jobs. Children viewed them as wondrous toys, while people with disabilities embraced them as tools of liberation. Military experts hoped robots would fight wars without endangering human soldiers, while politicians pondered if robots might eventually get to vote. Philosophers thought robots could challenge our notions of intelligence (and stupidity), while the religious struggled with concerns about the human race in a robot-dominated future. Shadow Walker’s simplified anatomy included only one bone in the lower leg and a single wide toe on each foot. Science Museum Group Peter Mowforth, cofounder of the Turing Institute in Glasgow, noted these disparate visions for robots when he announced the 1st International Robot Olympics, to be held in 27 and 28 ...
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The IEEE created its first dedicated robotics organization in 1984 when it established the IEEE Robotics and Automation Council, which became the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in 1987. It was the first humanoid capable of stable, autonomous walking.
TL;DR:
The 1st International Robot Olympics By the time the Shadow Group began developing Shadow Walker, engineers in academia and industry had been working on robotics for several decades.
Newatlas
May 31, 12:03
Is SpaceX ushering in a new Space Age?
SpaceX has once again set the record for flying the largest and most powerful rocket in history. It's also on the verge of launching more satellites than the rest of the world combined since Sputnik. Are we witnessing the beginning of a new Space Age? Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: SpaceX , Boeing , Rocket , Rocket Lab , Starlink , Starship , xxShowcase
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Is SpaceX ushering in a new Space Age?. SpaceX has once again set the record for flying the largest and most powerful rocket in history. Are we witnessing the beginning of a new Space Age?
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: SpaceX , Boeing , Rocket , Rocket Lab , Starlink , Starship , xxShowcase
Hi
May 31, 07:00
Telli (YC F24) is hiring in engineering, design, and GTM [Berlin, on-site]
Article URL: https://hi.telli.com/join-us Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48343635 Points: 0 # Comments: 0
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Telli (YC F24) is hiring in engineering, design, and GTM [Berlin, on-site]. Article URL: https://hi.telli.com/join-us Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48343635 Points: 0 # Comments: 0
TL;DR:
Article URL: https://hi.telli.com/join-us Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48343635 Points: 0 # Comments: 0
Newatlas
May 31, 06:03
Inside MAD’s stunning spiral-cloud science museum
Recently completed in Haikou, China, the Hainan Science Museum is an impressive 46,528-sq-m (500,823-sq-ft) cultural hub for science and technology education. Designed by lead architect Ma Yansong, from MAD architects, the museum is positioned at the edge of the Wuyuan River National Wetland Park. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: China , Science Museum , MAD Architects
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Inside MAD’s stunning spiral-cloud science museum. Recently completed in Haikou, China, the Hainan Science Museum is an impressive 46,528-sq-m (500,823-sq-ft) cultural hub for science and technology education. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: China , Science Museum , MAD Architects
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: China , Science Museum , MAD Architects
Labyrinthanalyticsconsulting
May 31, 04:38
Building a LangGraph pipeline for production data engineering
Back to Blog April 26, 2026 Building Your First LangGraph Pipeline: A Decision-Maker's Guide LangGraph is gaining real adoption for agentic AI workflows.
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Building a LangGraph pipeline for production data engineering. But for most teams evaluating it, the question is not how to build a pipeline -- it is whether LangGraph is the right architecture for their problem, and what it actually takes to run in production. That is both a good thing and a problem.
TL;DR:
Back to Blog April 26, 2026 Building Your First LangGraph Pipeline: A Decision-Maker's Guide LangGraph is gaining real adoption for agentic AI workflows.
Newatlas
May 31, 02:03
75 years of the Fender Telecaster: 12 guitarists who defined the Tele
Despite garnering unflattering nicknames like "the snow shovel," "the boat paddle," and "the plank" for its simplicity and no-fuss design when it was introduced to the public in 1951, the Fender Telecaster has proved to be an incredibly versatile instrument that morphs depending on who is playing it. Continue Reading Category: Music , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Fender Telecaster , Fender , Guitar
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75 years of the Fender Telecaster: 12 guitarists who defined the Tele. Despite garnering unflattering nicknames like "the snow shovel," "the boat paddle," and "the plank" for its simplicity and no-fuss design when it was introduced to the public in 1951, the Fender Telecaster has proved to be an incredibly versatile instrument that morphs depending on who is playing it.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Music , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Fender Telecaster , Fender , Guitar
Mechanical-pencil
May 31, 00:25
Mechanical Pencin: A website about the hidden engineering in everyday objects
')"> Welcome! Are you curious why a clicky Pen ... clicks? How a Zippo Lighter flips open? Or what lives inside a Pez Dispenser ?
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Mechanical Pencin: A website about the hidden engineering in everyday objects. I've illustrated tear-downs and break-downs of everyday products that you may have taken for granted. I've illustrated tear-downs and break-downs of everyday products that you may have taken for granted.
TL;DR:
Let's take a look inside and understand how they work.
Newatlas
May 30, 22:03
Lotus backtracks on EV-only future with 1,000-hp hybrid V8 supercar
At the back end of 2021, Lotus was one of the carmakers looking to go all-electric by the end of the decade. Now, barely five years on, the Geely-owned performance marque has backtracked on those plans, instead shifting its focus to a revised roadmap. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Lotus , Supercars , Hypercar , Hybrid , Ferrari , Mercedes , Mercedes-AMG
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Lotus backtracks on EV-only future with 1,000-hp hybrid V8 supercar. At the back end of 2021, Lotus was one of the carmakers looking to go all-electric by the end of the decade. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Lotus , Supercars , Hypercar , Hybrid , Ferrari , Mercedes , Mercedes-AMG
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Lotus , Supercars , Hypercar , Hybrid , Ferrari , Mercedes , Mercedes-AMG
Npr
May 30, 21:50
Republicans are trying to kill science in this country
NPR Science LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Science Researchers say the Trump administration is finding new ways to punish science May…
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Republicans are trying to kill science in this country. On a given day they might be working independently on analyzing genomic sequencing or gathered around the group table, drinking coffee and helping each other troubleshoot questions about genomic data from different species. "This was a very vibrant lab.
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NPR Science LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Science Researchers say the Trump administration is finding new ways to punish science May 21, 2026 6:00 AM ET By Harvard professor Sean Eddy, whose federal funding was terminated by the Trump administration last year, describes the loss as a "10-year hit to a lab." Jodi Hilton for NPR hide caption Standing in his laboratory, Harvard professor Sean Eddy gazes at a row of vacant work stations.
Interfaces
May 30, 20:46
Design Engineering Magazine
When you go from using a good product to a great one, you can feel the difference. It's often hard to point to what makes it though.
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Design Engineering Magazine. balance Designing interfaces Designing interfaces that feel natural and intuitive Great design is invisible. Interfaces is where I share everything I know and continue to learn about building great interfaces.
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Interfaces is where I share everything I know and continue to learn about building great interfaces.
Newatlas
May 30, 19:04
Stunningly curvaceous capsule camper stoutens up for off-grid travel
After teasing its first-ever off-road/off-grid camper earlier in May, American molded-fiberglass trailer builder Oliver Travel Trailers closes out the month by giving the all-new Apex X23 its official introduction. Well, mostly. It's still finishing up the production model and spec sheet, but it has released some more photos of the prototype and a number of key details, including the base price. The new trailer looks to give campers a little more backcountry muscle and versatility combined with Oliver's tried-and-true double-hull construction. Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: Caravan , RV , Trailer , trailers , Off-grid , Off-road , Camping , Outdoors and Camping
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Stunningly curvaceous capsule camper stoutens up for off-grid travel. After teasing its first-ever off-road/off-grid camper earlier in May, American molded-fiberglass trailer builder Oliver Travel Trailers closes out the month by giving the all-new Apex X23 its official introduction.
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Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: Caravan , RV , Trailer , trailers , Off-grid , Off-road , Camping , Outdoors and Camping
Spectrum
May 30, 15:13
Poetry for Engineers: Cyborg Laboratory
This is the place where you face yourself, the you that could be you with a few different parts, a pump for your heart, eyes off color, and fresh off the shelf fake hair (a bit obvious), skin smoothed. You’re not perfect, but it’s a good start. Down to small digits, you’ll be improved. Memory maintained by small motors, as long as these gizmos don’t glitch. What’s before you? Full replacement or a constant game of test and switch, pieces peeled off, disconnected, removed, until you are not yourself, at least, not the self you knew. That self has ceased, bit by bit less you at each release.
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Poetry for Engineers: Cyborg Laboratory. This is the place where you face yourself, the you that could be you with a few different parts, a pump for your heart, eyes off color, and fresh off the shelf fake hair (a bit obvious), skin smoothed. That self has ceased, bit by bit less you at each release.
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That self has ceased, bit by bit less you at each release.
Newatlas
May 30, 15:03
Road-ready tiny house sleeps six people under one compact roof
Though it only has a modest length of 7.8 m (25.7 ft), the Gerês tiny house manages to squeeze in sleeping space for up to six people. The tiny house also has several optional upgrades available, including running fully off-grid. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
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Road-ready tiny house sleeps six people under one compact roof. Though it only has a modest length of 7.8 m (25.7 ft), the Gerês tiny house manages to squeeze in sleeping space for up to six people. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
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Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
Phroneses
May 30, 12:53
Vibe Coding Is Not Engineering
Vibe coding produces code. Engineering produces systems. The gap between those two things is where production failures live. This is not an argument against AI. It is an argument for engineering.
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Vibe Coding Is Not Engineering. Engineering produces systems. AI‑generated code stalls because the engineering decisions were never made.
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Engineering produces systems.
Newatlas
May 30, 11:03
Small, flat, rooftop satellite antennas could replace big, bulky, costly dishes
"Ground Control to Major Tom," the evergreen lyrics to David Bowie’s 70s hit, Space Oddity. What’s odd is that, despite huge advances in satellites themselves, much of the physical infrastructure connecting those spacecraft to Earth still relies on large mechanically steered dishes, a model increasingly strained by the rise of massive low-Earth-orbit constellations. Continue Reading Category: Telecommunications , Technology Tags: UC San Diego , Antenna , Satellite , Spacecraft
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Small, flat, rooftop satellite antennas could replace big, bulky, costly dishes. What’s odd is that, despite huge advances in satellites themselves, much of the physical infrastructure connecting those spacecraft to Earth still relies on large mechanically steered dishes, a model increasingly strained by the rise of massive low-Earth-orbit constellations.
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Continue Reading Category: Telecommunications , Technology Tags: UC San Diego , Antenna , Satellite , Spacecraft
Newatlas
May 30, 06:03
New British single-cylinder nakeds wear their retro roots proudly
How often do we see snazzy new motorcycles pop up from relatively unknown brands, and how often do most of them seem to be missing a “soul”? Call me crazy, but I sincerely believe some motorcycles have souls. Even electrics. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: British , cafe racer , Retro
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New British single-cylinder nakeds wear their retro roots proudly. How often do we see snazzy new motorcycles pop up from relatively unknown brands, and how often do most of them seem to be missing a “soul”? Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: British , cafe racer , Retro
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Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: British , cafe racer , Retro
Designnews
May 30, 04:58
Innovative Display Technologies of Yesteryear, Part 1
From galvanometers to gravitas: why old-school displays retain the power to captivate.
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Innovative Display Technologies of Yesteryear, Part 1. From galvanometers to gravitas: why old-school displays retain the power to captivate.
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From galvanometers to gravitas: why old-school displays retain the power to captivate.
Newatlas
May 30, 00:03
Review: Boox's feature-packed E Ink tablet is unlike any e-reader I've used
While it’s not exactly a household name, Boox tablets have steadily made their way into the e-reader market that’s long been dominated by Amazon’s Kindle. But the Boox Go 10.3 Lumi makes a strong argument for reading tablet of choice, because it’s much more than just a device to read a book on. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: E-book , E-reader , E-Ink , E-Paper , Books , Portable , Device
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Review: Boox's feature-packed E Ink tablet is unlike any e-reader I've used. But the Boox Go 10.3 Lumi makes a strong argument for reading tablet of choice, because it’s much more than just a device to read a book on. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: E-book , E-reader , E-Ink , E-Paper , Books , Portable , Device
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Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: E-book , E-reader , E-Ink , E-Paper , Books , Portable , Device
Newatlas
May 29, 23:04
Nissan pushes beyond camper vans with factory 4WD overnight wagon
With help from its Autech/NMC tuning and customization arm, Nissan has developed out quite a camper van line in Japan, ranging from adorable tiny campers to large wellness-retreat ramblers. Traditionally, those models have all been based on some form of van, but one of the latest Nissan campers to arrive as a factory option comes based instead on Nissan's top-selling SUV platform. The new X-Trail Rock Creek Multi-Bed is a rugged, versatile all-terrain camper wagon, and while it's a pure Japanese-market vehicle for now, it could have micro-camping implications for markets around the world, even the USA. Continue Reading Category: Campervans , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: mini-campervan , Crossover , SUV , Nissan , RV , Outdoors and Camping , Off-road , Camping
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Nissan pushes beyond camper vans with factory 4WD overnight wagon. Traditionally, those models have all been based on some form of van, but one of the latest Nissan campers to arrive as a factory option comes based instead on Nissan's top-selling SUV platform.
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Continue Reading Category: Campervans , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: mini-campervan , Crossover , SUV , Nissan , RV , Outdoors and Camping , Off-road , Camping
Designnews
May 29, 21:36
Using AI & Digital Solutions to Solve Manufacturing Challenges
Misumi Americas launches with an AI-powered sourcing engine supported by a highly optimized global network of more than 250 facilities across the US, Mexico, China, India, and Japan.
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Misumi Americas launches with an AI-powered sourcing engine supported by a highly optimized global network of more than 250 facilities across the US, Mexico, China, India, and Japan.
Newatlas
May 29, 21:04
This may be the deluxe bike trailer you didn't realize you were dreaming of
Most people don't give a lot of thought to bike cargo trailers … they think of the things as being just little towed carts. The Veolo Bike Trailer 2.0, however, is likely one of the lightest, smoothest-running, most well-appointed offerings you can buy. Continue Reading Category: Bicycles , Transport Tags: Cycling , Kickstarter
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This may be the deluxe bike trailer you didn't realize you were dreaming of. The Veolo Bike Trailer 2.0, however, is likely one of the lightest, smoothest-running, most well-appointed offerings you can buy. Continue Reading Category: Bicycles , Transport Tags: Cycling , Kickstarter
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Continue Reading Category: Bicycles , Transport Tags: Cycling , Kickstarter
Designnews
May 29, 20:06
Lexus ES Sedan Adopts Austere Interior in Shift to Hybrid and Electric Powertrains
The new ES offers hybrid and EV variants on one platform, but ditches traditional luxury materials for minimalist design.
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The new ES offers hybrid and EV variants on one platform, but ditches traditional luxury materials for minimalist design.
Newatlas
May 29, 19:04
I tried to break the Luba 3 AWD robomower
When I reviewed the Luba 2 AWD 3000HX in September, I was seriously impressed. It's quiet, very capable, kind of fun, and made me feel like a neighborhood hero while sending it from house to house mowing everyone's yards. Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Lawnmower , Lawnmowers , Reviews , Garden , Autonomous
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I tried to break the Luba 3 AWD robomower. It's quiet, very capable, kind of fun, and made me feel like a neighborhood hero while sending it from house to house mowing everyone's yards. Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Lawnmower , Lawnmowers , Reviews , Garden , Autonomous
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Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Lawnmower , Lawnmowers , Reviews , Garden , Autonomous
Designnews
May 29, 18:18
NI Embedded Controller Meets Vanilla Ice Imposter
The recent NI Connect conference in Fort Worth, TX, was chock full of interesting discussions and information, particularly as NI deepens its involvement in artificial intelligence by expanding the r…
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The recent NI Connect conference in Fort Worth, TX, was chock full of interesting discussions and information, particularly as NI deepens its involvement in artificial intelligence by expanding the reach of its Nigel AI Advisor .
Newatlas
May 29, 15:58
Apartment-like tiny house delivers single-floor simplicity
Many tiny houses try to pack as much as possible into their compact frame, but this extra-wide model instead leans into simplicity and provides a spacious single-floor interior centered around an open living area. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
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Apartment-like tiny house delivers single-floor simplicity. Many tiny houses try to pack as much as possible into their compact frame, but this extra-wide model instead leans into simplicity and provides a spacious single-floor interior centered around an open living area.
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Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
Newatlas
May 29, 13:57
Latest Hypershell exoskeletons put an AI-powered spring in your step
Hypershell’s new X Series exoskeletons use AI-driven motion control to give you a little extra spring in your step, offering walking and hiking assistance across different terrain, ranges, and support levels. Continue Reading Category: Gear , Outdoors Tags: Exoskeleton , Wearable , Artificial Intelligence , Mobility , Fitness , Hiking
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Latest Hypershell exoskeletons put an AI-powered spring in your step. Hypershell’s new X Series exoskeletons use AI-driven motion control to give you a little extra spring in your step, offering walking and hiking assistance across different terrain, ranges, and support levels.
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Continue Reading Category: Gear , Outdoors Tags: Exoskeleton , Wearable , Artificial Intelligence , Mobility , Fitness , Hiking
Spectrum
May 29, 13:00
Make a Soft Digital Clock Tick With Millifluidics
Electrons are great . We use them to move vehicles, illuminate cities, and, of course, compute. But computation is not confined to the world of electronics. And shifting to alternative nonelectronic realms can unlock unique advantages: Photonic chips, for instance, process information with light while generating little heat. Another compelling alternative is fluidics , which uses pressurized gases or liquids to build logic circuits. Pioneered in the 1960s but sidelined by microchips, the field reemerged in the 1990s as “ microfluidics .” This approach aims to shrink laboratories onto a single chip by creating microscopic fluid channels with integrated micropneumatic control systems. Today, there is a second fluidic revival, this time in the domain of soft robotics . Scaling microfluidic designs up to the millimeter-scale range (millifluidics) enables the higher flow rates necessary to drive robotic actuators. These robots exploit the nonlinear behaviors of soft materials to create lifelike motion and safer interactions, often utilizing pressurized air. By building systems that “think” with the same air that powers them, we can drastically reduce the need for bulky electronic-to-pneumatic interfaces. This is the focus of my Soiboi Studio robotics lab. With millifluidic logic, I have steadily scaled the complexity of my designs. What began with a simple oscillator has most recently evolved into a clock featuring a soft, four-digit, seven-segment display. What Is Millifluidics? Building on microfluidics research from the early 2000s and recent developments from the Grover Lab at the University of California, Riverside , I’ve developed millifluidic devices using standard 3D printing and silicone casting. The basic architecture is simple: A flexible membrane is sandwiched between rigid layers embedded with networks of air channels. Just as electronics rely on differing voltage potentials, these fluidic circuits operate on the pressure difference between atmospheric pressure (logical 0) and a near-vacuum at around −60 kilopascals of relative pressure (logical 1). Using negative pressure means the membrane is pulled into openings. This creates robust seals that allow me to replicate electronic building blocks. A cast silicone membrane forms the face of the clock [top], while behind it sits 3D-printed millifluidic blocks [middle rows]. An Arduino Uno controls driver boards that operate solenoids, which are connected to valves that are attached to a vacuum pump [bottom row]. James Provost While fluidic resistors are easily realized by adjusting the channel geometry, the heart of the system is a valve that mimics a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, or MOSFET . This vacuum “ transistor ” features a flow layer with two chambers (the source and drain) divided by a central valve seat and a control layer containing a cavity (the gate). A membrane runs between the control and flow layers and normally prevents airflow between the source and drain chambers. To switch the transistor on, a vacuum is applied to the gate chamber, sucking the membrane into the cavity and lifting it off the seat. This opens a path for airflow, equivalent to closing an electric circuit. By adding a small aperture to the membrane, I created a check valve—the fluidic equivalent of a diode. By combining transistors and resistive “pull-down” channels, I can build a full suite of logic gates. The original microfluidic designs that inspired me were fabricated from etched glass and milled acrylic. Adapting them for a standard 3D printer required reengineering the logic elements and mastering two critical fabrication techniques. First, I need airtight prints, yet printed plastic is notoriously porous. By printing at elevated temperatures, slow speeds, and slight overextrusion, I was able to fill microscopic gaps. When you’re using transparent filament, there’s a handy visual indicator: The more transparent the plastic appears, the lower its porosity. Second, I used glass for my print bed. By printing the upper and lower chambers directly against this bed, I got the interface surface to become mirror smooth. This finish is essential for creating reliable, airtight seals. A 0.3-millimeter silicone membrane is placed between the layers and secured with screws. How Does the Soft Clock Work? The clockface is a cast silicone membrane. Each digit segment is formed by a small underlying cavity. When air is evacuated from this cavity, the membrane is sucked inward to create a concave hollow; when atmospheric pressure is restored, the silicone pops back flush with the surface. The result is a mesmerizing, organic motion. The “brain” of the clock is an Arduino Uno , while the fluidics significantly reduce the hardware footprint. A four-digit, seven-segment display with two separator dots would require 29 solenoid valves to control directly. My clock needs just 11 valves. A pneumatic transistor is off when its upper control chamber is at atmospheri...
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Make a Soft Digital Clock Tick With Millifluidics. How Does the Soft Clock Work? The clockface is a cast silicone membrane.
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How Does the Soft Clock Work?
Newatlas
May 29, 12:19
Space-bound humanoid takes a four-armed approach to astronaut assistance
In microgravity, walking doesn't exist. Balance doesn't exist. What does exist is the need to grip surfaces, manipulate tools, move through narrow corridors, and not go flying every time you push against something. Two legs solve none of those problems. Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Robots , Space exploration , Maintenance , assistant robot , Humanoid
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Space-bound humanoid takes a four-armed approach to astronaut assistance. Balance doesn't exist. Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Robots , Space exploration , Maintenance , assistant robot , Humanoid
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Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Robots , Space exploration , Maintenance , assistant robot , Humanoid
Newatlas
May 29, 09:33
What makes driving fun? Scientists study the thrill of motoring
Do you like driving? Maybe not stuck in an urban jam, dodging potholes or crawling amid draconian speed limits – but out there on the open road, taking sunny corners in a nice car? The roar of the engine as it changes gear, the pleasure of getting the line and the revs right through a corner? Surely even the most dour of modern motorists derive at least some joy from driving’s highlights. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Polestar , Oxford University , Electric Vehicles , Driving
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What makes driving fun? Surely even the most dour of modern motorists derive at least some joy from driving’s highlights. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Polestar , Oxford University , Electric Vehicles , Driving
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Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Polestar , Oxford University , Electric Vehicles , Driving
Refractor
May 29, 07:09
Electronic stickers turn forests into living fire alarms
No matter what we throw at fire detection, from drones to advanced prediction models and watch towers, predicting when and where blazes will start remains challenging. And not all fires are created equal. Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: Hanyang University , Fire-Proof Coatings , Wildfires , Detector , Sensors , Electronic , Climate Crisis
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Electronic stickers turn forests into living fire alarms. No matter what we throw at fire detection, from drones to advanced prediction models and watch towers, predicting when and where blazes will start remains challenging.
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Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: Hanyang University , Fire-Proof Coatings , Wildfires , Detector , Sensors , Electronic , Climate Crisis
Designnews
May 29, 04:55
How ‘Structural Electronics’ Is Changing the Game
TactoTek's in-mold structural electronics (IMSE) integrate circuits, components, and design into single seamless surfaces for thinner products.
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TactoTek's in-mold structural electronics (IMSE) integrate circuits, components, and design into single seamless surfaces for thinner products.
Newatlas
May 29, 03:34
Watch: New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad
Blue Origin's space ambitions have suffered a major setback as its New Glenn rocket exploded in a fireball on the launch pad at about 7:00 pm EDT at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida during an engine test. Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: New Glenn , Blue Origin , Rocket , Accidents
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Watch: New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad. Blue Origin's space ambitions have suffered a major setback as its New Glenn rocket exploded in a fireball on the launch pad at about 7:00 pm EDT at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida during an engine test.
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Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: New Glenn , Blue Origin , Rocket , Accidents
Refractor
May 28, 23:04
Shocking lab experiment confirms that light can move in ‘negative time’
If you work in a city, there’s a good chance you’ve got your morning commute down to a fine art, getting you to the office with your coffee in hand within minutes of that first meeting. Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: Photon , Light , Quantum , Time
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Shocking lab experiment confirms that light can move in ‘negative time’. If you work in a city, there’s a good chance you’ve got your morning commute down to a fine art, getting you to the office with your coffee in hand within minutes of that first meeting. Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: Photon , Light , Quantum , Time
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If you work in a city, there’s a good chance you’ve got your morning commute down to a fine art, getting you to the office with your coffee in hand within minutes of that first meeting.
Newatlas
May 28, 23:04
Brilliant cubist teardrop disappears bed to free serious camper space
Since debuting in 2021, the Campinawe Trailer has established itself as one of the oddest-looking small camping trailers roaming the earth. But besides looking weird, its strangely juxtaposed alu-skinned foam-core panels conceal one of the roomiest, most functional floor plans we've seen on a teardrop-style 15-footer. And that's truer than ever as the company adds an even more spacious, flexible floor plan alternative. The Crossover Solo layout features a pack-away bed that clears room inside for a larger dining or office space. Heck, you could probably use it for yoga when it's too cold or rainy outdoors. Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: teardrop trailers , Caravan , Camping , Outdoors and Camping , RV , trailers , Trailer
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Brilliant cubist teardrop disappears bed to free serious camper space. Since debuting in 2021, the Campinawe Trailer has established itself as one of the oddest-looking small camping trailers roaming the earth. Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: teardrop trailers , Caravan , Camping , Outdoors and Camping , RV , trailers , Trailer
TL;DR:
Since debuting in 2021, the Campinawe Trailer has established itself as one of the oddest-looking small camping trailers roaming the earth.
Designnews
May 28, 20:19
BYD's Second-Gen Blade Battery Pack Features Integrated Controls and Refrigerant Cooling
Analyst Cai Shendao's teardown reveals BYD integrated the DBU and BMS into one module, uses refrigerant cooling, and epoxy potting.
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Analyst Cai Shendao's teardown reveals BYD integrated the DBU and BMS into one module, uses refrigerant cooling, and epoxy potting.
Newatlas
May 28, 19:22
Third time's the charm? Titanium wrenching multitool is back in 3rd-Gen form
Over the past few years, the team at tool company IF has successfully launched two wrench-based multitools on Kickstarter. Their latest release, the OmniPro Wrench 3.0, combines elements from both earlier versions and also has a few added features. Continue Reading Category: Knives and Multitools , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Multitools , Titanium , Wrench
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Over the past few years, the team at tool company IF has successfully launched two wrench-based multitools on Kickstarter. Their latest release, the OmniPro Wrench 3.0, combines elements from both earlier versions and also has a few added features.
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Over the past few years, the team at tool company IF has successfully launched two wrench-based multitools on Kickstarter.
Designnews
May 28, 18:35
Sit in on the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Briefing on its Axial-Flux Motors
Mercedes-AMG electric drivetrain development engineer Denis Blanusa discusses the AMG GT's use of axial-flux electric motors.
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Mercedes-AMG electric drivetrain development engineer Denis Blanusa discusses the AMG GT's use of axial-flux electric motors.
Refractor
May 28, 18:02
Pigeons break the rules of navigation – and the secret lies is in their livers
Bird navigation has puzzled animal scientists for a long time, despite decades of research, not least because each species seems to have its own flight manual and designing experiments to unlock these secrets is incredibly challenging for us, on the ground. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Max Planck Institute , Birds , Navigation , Magnetic , Magnetic field , GPS , The Immune System , Iron
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Bird navigation has puzzled animal scientists for a long time, despite decades of research, not least because each species seems to have its own flight manual and designing experiments to unlock these secrets is incredibly challenging for us, on the ground.
TL;DR:
Bird navigation has puzzled animal scientists for a long time, despite decades of research, not least because each species seems to have its own flight manual and designing experiments to unlock these secrets is incredibly challenging for us, on the ground.
Designnews
May 28, 16:29
NI Tech Exec Explores Evolving Test Needs
VP & General Manager Rudy Sengupta looks at how LabVIEW and other test & measurement tools are evolving in the age of AI.
TL;DR:
VP & General Manager Rudy Sengupta looks at how LabVIEW and other test & measurement tools are evolving in the age of AI.
Spectrum
May 28, 13:00
Finding Success in Industry as a Chip Designer
I have been an application-specific IC (ASIC) designer for almost three decades. Over that time, I’ve moved through the full academic trajectory, from graduate student to full professor; later, I transitioned to industry after an unsuccessful stint at entrepreneurship. When I made the switch to the private sector in 2019, I began focusing on a critically important aspect of the electronic industry: silicon intellectual property. As much as 80 percent of the physical area in today’s most advanced chips is occupied by blocks that aren’t made for specific products or even designed by the consumer-facing companies that built them. Instead, chipmakers draw heavily on established silicon IP from companies like Arm , Cadence , Rambus , Synopsys , and the company I work for, Silicon Creations . Throughout my career, I’ve designed chips for very different purposes, including enabling the research program in my academic lab and expanding the IP portfolio of my company. When I joined Silicon Creations, I had no idea how differently the industry approaches IC design and encountered a steep learning curve. Initially, it seemed that much of my two decades of academic research and training did not directly translate to the role. I had to learn new skills and adopt a new mindset. Today, demand for ASICs is rapidly growing, driven by the need for specialized chips in the automotive sector, AI applications, and more. By one market estimate , the ASIC market is expected to grow from US $23.4 billion to $38.8 billion by 2033, and the semiconductor industry as a whole is projected to hit $1 trillion by 2030 . The industry needs more chip designers— but if you’re coming from an academic background as I did, there are a few things you’ll need to know. Different goals lead to different strategies The differences between industry and academe begin with a divergence in purpose. In academia, my primary objective was to generate new knowledge: to propose a novel circuit technique, validate an unconventional architecture, or explore the limits of performance in a given domain. A successful chip is one that demonstrates a concept. In industry, it is not nearly enough to prove that something can work. The goal is to ensure that it works reliably, repeatedly, and at scale. Success is measured not by novelty but by whether the silicon meets specifications, yields as expected in production, and supports a competitive product delivered on schedule. This leads to a stark contrast in risk tolerance. Academic designs often deliberately push into unproven territory, where even partial success can yield valuable insight. In industry, however, we systematically minimize risk. The cost of failure makes first-time silicon success a central requirement—especially at advanced technology nodes, where the lithography masks used to transfer circuit designs onto silicon wafers alone can cost tens of millions of dollars. As a result, industry design flows are built around eliminating uncertainty through conservative margins, extensive validation, and careful reuse of proven solutions. “Academia explores the design space, asking what is possible, while industry exploits it, determining what is viable at scale.” This paradigm has existed since the 1970s, when application-specific chip design was established. However, the gulf between academia and industry has expanded since the mid-2010s, when FinFET technology , a 3D architecture using vertical “fins” of silicon, was widely adopted in industry. System designs are also becoming increasingly modular with the advent of chiplets . This fundamentally altered the economics and complexity of ASIC development, with design costs rising by almost an order of magnitude. Initiatives like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ’s University FinFET Program and new government-funded chip-design hubs now let some well-resourced universities design for more advanced architectures, but the technology is still out of reach for many academics. What the industry-academia split means in practice Consider a startup developing an ASIC. Its engineering team may have deep expertise in a particular algorithm, sensor interface, or system architecture, the features that define its competitive advantage. But it is unlikely to possess world-class expertise in every supporting function. Developing each of these blocks internally would require significant time, capital, and specialized talent. Doing so could delay market entry beyond the startup’s viability. Even large semiconductor companies face similar constraints. Advanced-node development demands intense focus. Allocating a team to redesign a standard interface block that has already been implemented elsewhere may be difficult to justify when differentiation lies at the system level, such as an inference chip’s ability to speed up neural network computations. The time it takes to move a new chip from conception to market and risk mitigation, not self-sufficiency, govern most decisi...
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Finding Success in Industry as a Chip Designer. Over that time, I’ve moved through the full academic trajectory, from graduate student to full professor; later, I transitioned to industry after an unsuccessful stint at entrepreneurship. Initiatives like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
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Initiatives like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Refractor
May 28, 13:00
Signs of post-viral depression found in our immune system for the first time
It’s not unusual to feel fatigued or experience brain fog after recovering from a viral illness. The body has just expended significant energy fighting off an infection, and a temporary dip in energy or mood is understandable. Continue Reading Category: Infectious Diseases , Illnesses and conditions , Body and Mind Tags: Coronavirus (COVID-19) , Depression , Diagnosis , The Immune System
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Signs of post-viral depression found in our immune system for the first time. The body has just expended significant energy fighting off an infection, and a temporary dip in energy or mood is understandable. Continue Reading Category: Infectious Diseases , Illnesses and conditions , Body and Mind Tags: Coronavirus (COVID-19) , Depression , Diagnosis , The Immune System
TL;DR:
The body has just expended significant energy fighting off an infection, and a temporary dip in energy or mood is understandable.
Newatlas
May 28, 12:52
Record-breaking apartment building 3D printed in just 34 days
Europe's largest 3D-printed apartment building has been completed in France. Containing 12 social housing apartments spread across three floors, the project's printing process was carried out in just 34 days. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Building and Construction , 3D Printing , France
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Record-breaking apartment building 3D printed in just 34 days. Europe's largest 3D-printed apartment building has been completed in France. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Building and Construction , 3D Printing , France
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Building and Construction , 3D Printing , France
Designnews
May 28, 11:11
Top 20 Engineering Jokes
When optimization meets everyday chaos, fixing a coffee maker requires a digital twin and a dash of AI.
TL;DR:
When optimization meets everyday chaos, fixing a coffee maker requires a digital twin and a dash of AI.
Newatlas
May 28, 10:22
Tiny EDC flashlight puts pro-grade LEDs on your keychain
Early in 2025, YSmart embarked on a Kickstarter campaign for a versatile micro-flashlight called the Bullet2. Now the company is back with an updated version that's even more compact, and comes with pro-grade LEDs, IPX8 waterproofing, replaceable batteries, and three beam options for everyday carry. Continue Reading Category: Gear , Outdoors Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , EDC , Flashlights , Compact , Torch , LED
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Tiny EDC flashlight puts pro-grade LEDs on your keychain. Now the company is back with an updated version that's even more compact, and comes with pro-grade LEDs, IPX8 waterproofing, replaceable batteries, and three beam options for everyday carry. Continue Reading Category: Gear , Outdoors Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , EDC , Flashlights , Compact , Torch , LED
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Gear , Outdoors Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , EDC , Flashlights , Compact , Torch , LED
Content
May 28, 10:00
Understanding Phase Noise and Its Impact on RF System Performance
A practical introduction to phase noise concepts, explaining how oscillator instability affects RF systems and how phase noise is measured, analyzed, and reported. What Attendees will Learn What phase noise is and why it matters — Learn how real-world oscillators differ from ideal ones, why short-term frequency instability arises, and why phase variations typically have a much greater impact than amplitude variations on system performance. How phase noise degrades system performance — Understand the most common effects of excessive phase noise: spectral regrowth, reciprocal mixing, and constellation rotation in digital communications. How phase noise is measured and reported — Explore the spectrum analyzer method and the cross-correlation technique, understand single sideband (SSB) phase noise plots and spot noise tables. What advanced phase noise measurements look like in practice — Discover additional measurement types including integrated phase noise, additive (residual) phase noise, pulsed signal phase noise, and amplitude noise. Download this free whitepaper now!
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A practical introduction to phase noise concepts, explaining how oscillator instability affects RF systems and how phase noise is measured, analyzed, and reported. What Attendees will Learn What phase noise is and why it matters — Learn how real-world oscillators differ from ideal ones, why short-term frequency instability arises, and why phase variations typically have a much…
TL;DR:
A practical introduction to phase noise concepts, explaining how oscillator instability affects RF systems and how phase noise is measured, analyzed, and reported.
Newatlas
May 28, 08:03
SR-71 successor? Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 prototype cracks the sound barrier
The venerable Cold War SR-71 Blackbird may be looking nervously at its laurels after Hermeus's latest Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 uncrewed prototype broke the sound barrier at Spaceport America over the White Sands Missile Range airspace in New Mexico in March 2026. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft , Transport Tags: Aircraft , Supersonic , Hermeus , SR-71
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Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 prototype cracks the sound barrier. The venerable Cold War SR-71 Blackbird may be looking nervously at its laurels after Hermeus's latest Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 uncrewed prototype broke the sound barrier at Spaceport America over the White Sands Missile Range airspace in New Mexico in March 2026.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Aircraft , Transport Tags: Aircraft , Supersonic , Hermeus , SR-71
Newatlas
May 28, 06:40
Winglets on a 125cc motorcycle? QJ Motor says yes
If you ever rode a small-bore sport bike, you’d know just how fun these motorcycles can be – especially out around in the city for short runs. I’m speaking really small: the Yamaha R 125, Kawasaki Ninja 125, and Suzuki GSX-R 125 category. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: qjmotor , Sportsbikes , Winglet , China , Yamaha , Kawasaki , KTM
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If you ever rode a small-bore sport bike, you’d know just how fun these motorcycles can be – especially out around in the city for short runs. I’m speaking really small: the Yamaha R 125, Kawasaki Ninja 125, and Suzuki GSX-R 125 category. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: qjmotor , Sportsbikes , Winglet , China , Yamaha , Kawasaki , KTM
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: qjmotor , Sportsbikes , Winglet , China , Yamaha , Kawasaki , KTM
Refractor
May 28, 06:16
Sea creature's amputated limbs refused to die, even after three years
It came from a creature of the depths. A severed foot that refused to die, regenerating in an act of survival unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Regeneration , echinoderms , Cells , Ocean
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Sea creature's amputated limbs refused to die, even after three years. A severed foot that refused to die, regenerating in an act of survival unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Regeneration , echinoderms , Cells , Ocean
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Regeneration , echinoderms , Cells , Ocean
Refractor
May 28, 01:20
Hundreds of conflicting engineering solutions may prevent alien visitors, scientist says
Kai James, Georgia Institute of Technology/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: aliens , interstellar space , Stars , Distance
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These file dumps were the culmination of a process that was set in motion back in July 2023 , when a group of government whistleblowers testified before Congress that the US government was secretly in possession of extraterrestrial spacecraft and suspected alien body parts.
TL;DR:
Kai James, Georgia Institute of Technology/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: aliens , interstellar space , Stars , Distance
Refractor
May 27, 23:53
Brain-cell breakthrough supercharges GLP-1 weight loss and prevents plateaus
Scientists have identified a new way to supercharge the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide, opening the door to boosting the drug's weight-loss power and helping long-term users push past plateaus that not even this "wonder drug" can circumvent. Continue Reading Category: Obesity , Illnesses and conditions , Body and Mind Tags: National Institutes of Health (NIH) , U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Obesity , Weight Loss , neurons , Cells , molecular biology , GLP-1 receptor agonists
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Brain-cell breakthrough supercharges GLP-1 weight loss and prevents plateaus. Continue Reading Category: Obesity , Illnesses and conditions , Body and Mind Tags: National Institutes of Health (NIH) , U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) , Obesity , Weight Loss , neurons , Cells , molecular biology , GLP-1 receptor agonists
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Obesity , Illnesses and conditions , Body and Mind Tags: National Institutes of Health (NIH) , U.S.
Newatlas
May 27, 23:04
tent lands in USA to elevate luxury base camps
In 2025, we took a look at the K-Tent from Great Britain's Kudhva Kanvas, a unique piece of semi-permanent light architecture that struck us as a cross between heavy-duty safari tents and hard-walled A-frames, with a touch of treehouse mixed in for good measure. The tent was a spinoff from Kudhvas' original business renting out permanently installed, glass-and-timber dwellings of that same shape and style at its off-grid resort on the North Cornish Coast. Now, those K-Tent portable canvas structures are traveling across the Atlantic to serve as the basis of a planned series of American glamping resorts. Continue Reading Category: Tents , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Tent , Glamping , Outdoors and Camping , Travel and Tourism , Travel , Resort , Beach
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tent lands in USA to elevate luxury base camps. The tent was a spinoff from Kudhvas' original business renting out permanently installed, glass-and-timber dwellings of that same shape and style at its off-grid resort on the North Cornish Coast.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Tents , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Tent , Glamping , Outdoors and Camping , Travel and Tourism , Travel , Resort , Beach
Designnews
May 27, 22:15
Model-Based Systems Engineering: How Data Analytics & AI Are Enabling Better Design Decisions
Industry expert Becky Petteys from MathWorks shares how executable models such as SysML v2 and AI are supporting faster, evidence-based decision making and complex product development.
TL;DR:
Industry expert Becky Petteys from MathWorks shares how executable models such as SysML v2 and AI are supporting faster, evidence-based decision making and complex product development.
Newatlas
May 27, 19:37
Review: 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 has a powertrain for everybody
Trucks used to be pretty easy. You bought a GMC because it was nicer than the others. Powertrain choice was about what your plans were with the truck. Now it’s ... Well, still easy. It just looks complicated. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: GMC , Pickup , Truck , Electric truck , Reviews
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Review: 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 has a powertrain for everybody. Powertrain choice was about what your plans were with the truck. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: GMC , Pickup , Truck , Electric truck , Reviews
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: GMC , Pickup , Truck , Electric truck , Reviews
Designnews
May 27, 19:21
1,035 HP, $645K Ferrari Luce EV Meets Skeptical Reception
Ferrari's Luce EV combines cutting-edge design, advanced engineering, and exceptional performance with a bold new aesthetic.
TL;DR:
Ferrari's Luce EV combines cutting-edge design, advanced engineering, and exceptional performance with a bold new aesthetic.
Newatlas
May 27, 18:03
Wild 'super sleeping bag' uses NASA-grade micro tech to adapt
Graphene-X is a Hong Kong-based company that produces outdoor clothing and gear. This time around it's entering the camping market with a product called the Tardigrade Sleeping System, currently available for backing on Kickstarter. Continue Reading Category: Outdoors Tags: Sleeping Bags , Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Graphene , Aerogels
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Wild 'super sleeping bag' uses NASA-grade micro tech to adapt. This time around it's entering the camping market with a product called the Tardigrade Sleeping System, currently available for backing on Kickstarter. Continue Reading Category: Outdoors Tags: Sleeping Bags , Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Graphene , Aerogels
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Outdoors Tags: Sleeping Bags , Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Graphene , Aerogels
Designnews
May 27, 17:25
EVs Continue to Dominate EPA's Most Efficient Car Rankings in 2026
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s top ranking by size class this year includes seven battery-electric vehicles and one hybrid-electric vehicle.
TL;DR:
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s top ranking by size class this year includes seven battery-electric vehicles and one hybrid-electric vehicle.
Newatlas
May 27, 16:06
World's largest eVTOL just proved it can play nice with other flyers
AutoFlight has completed a heterogeneous three-aircraft formation flight with the V5000 Matrix, a 5-metric-ton electric aircraft that could push eVTOL technology well beyond the urban air taxi niche. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft , Transport Tags: VTOL , Autoflight , drones , eVTOL , Cargo
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World's largest eVTOL just proved it can play nice with other flyers. AutoFlight has completed a heterogeneous three-aircraft formation flight with the V5000 Matrix, a 5-metric-ton electric aircraft that could push eVTOL technology well beyond the urban air taxi niche. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft , Transport Tags: VTOL , Autoflight , drones , eVTOL , Cargo
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Aircraft , Transport Tags: VTOL , Autoflight , drones , eVTOL , Cargo
Newatlas
May 27, 14:17
Blacksheep One: $40,000 Bespoke e-moto with a patented axial flux motor
I have to start by addressing the elephant in the room – an equivalent of $40,000 (£29,000 precisely) for an electric motorcycle might be stretching it too far for most. But then, we all know there are a select few in the world who would treat it as pocket change. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: Electric Motorcycles , British , Custom Bikes , urban transport
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Blacksheep One: $40,000 Bespoke e-moto with a patented axial flux motor. I have to start by addressing the elephant in the room – an equivalent of $40,000 (£29,000 precisely) for an electric motorcycle might be stretching it too far for most. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: Electric Motorcycles , British , Custom Bikes , urban transport
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: Electric Motorcycles , British , Custom Bikes , urban transport
Refractor
May 27, 13:45
'Zebra striping' your drinks can cut hangovers (just not the way you'd think)
Cathy Montgomery & Abi Rose, Liverpool John Moores University/The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Diet & Nutrition , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: hangover , Alcohol , Health , Hydration
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On a typical night out, the rhythm of drinking can be hard to control. A drinking trend known as “zebra striping” promises to help you reduce the negative effects of alcohol on a night out. The idea is simple: after having a glass of wine or a pint of beer, reach for a soft drink or glass of water for the next round, before having your next alcoholic drink.
TL;DR:
Cathy Montgomery & Abi Rose, Liverpool John Moores University/The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Diet & Nutrition , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: hangover , Alcohol , Health , Hydration
Newatlas
May 27, 13:01
Portable projector brings Roku TV streaming straight out of the box
Portable projectors nothing new, but as the tech has steadily improved in recent years, they've become great tools for comfy viewing in TV-unfriendly places. Lately, we've seen a push toward smarter, more self-contained designs, including Yaber's portable projector with built-in Google TV and Aurzen's own tri-fold Zip pico projector, both of which try to cut down on the fiddly setup that usually comes with projector ownership. Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: roku , Projectors , HD , Portable
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Portable projector brings Roku TV streaming straight out of the box. Portable projectors nothing new, but as the tech has steadily improved in recent years, they've become great tools for comfy viewing in TV-unfriendly places. Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: roku , Projectors , HD , Portable
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: roku , Projectors , HD , Portable
Spectrum
May 27, 13:00
South Africa Has AI Leverage. Its Draft Policy Leaves It Unused
This article is adapted by the author with permission from Tech Policy Press . Read the original article . South Africa is not just another developing country struggling to govern artificial intelligence; it is the exception with leverage, and the window to act on it is closing. It holds approximately 88 percent of global platinum-group metal reserves , critical inputs to parts of the semiconductor and data-center supply chains that make AI infrastructure possible. It hosts the largest data-center market on the continent. Its existing hyperscaler relationships give it procurement leverage that most African states will never have . And a major geopolitical contest over AI infrastructure is being fought on its soil right now, between Chinese and American technology companies competing for control of the systems that will underpin an entire continent’s public sector. In physics, leverage requires three things: a fulcrum, a lever arm, and the ability to apply force. The Bushveld Complex, the world’s largest platinum-group metal deposit , is the fulcrum: a mineral endowment that gives South Africa a position in the semiconductor supply chain that no other African state holds. The since-withdrawn draft policy is the lever arm. The unresolved “OPTION” provisions in the policy are where force would be applied. Without a policy that specifies what South Africa wants in return for market access, the lever arm sits unused, and the weight of two of the world’s largest technology ecosystems settles exactly where those ecosystems want it to settle. This makes South Africa a global test case. Not because its proposed means of governance is exemplary, but because it is the one developing country with enough structural leverage to negotiate genuinely different terms , and the one that is choosing, through inaction, not to. The recent announcement of a new panel to update the draft policy by January 2027 is an important opportunity. But the deeper failure is not that an AI policy contained bad references. It is that no verification process caught them before the document entered the public domain. That is a systems problem, not merely a political one. It points to a missing layer in how governments are adopting AI. The contest already underway Last year, Huawei pitched an emerging-product bundle to tech executives across the continent. Huawei was now bundling access to DeepSeek’s large language model with its own cloud and storage infrastructure. The price differential was stark—in some cases by more than 90 percent. At the same time, Microsoft announced plans to spend ZAR 5.4 billion ($300 million) by the end of 2027 on cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa, building on a prior ZAR 20.4 billion investment. Google, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle already have cloud regions in the country. According to one analysis, the country’s data-center market was valued at US $2.16 billion in 2024, the largest in Africa . These are not commercially neutral investments. Huawei’s infrastructure reach has been explicitly linked to Chinese strategic objectives , including a documented track record of providing governments with surveillance infrastructure through its Safe Cities network. U.S. hyperscaler investment comes with its own dependency structure: closed models, pricing set unilaterally, and terms of access that no African government has meaningfully shaped. South Africa is being asked to choose between these dependency models without a policy that specifies what it wants in return. The leverage it has There is a particular irony in South Africa’s position. The country whose mines supply platinum-group metals essential to semiconductor manufacturing, and through them to AI compute, has drafted a policy that treats it as a consumer of AI systems rather than a stakeholder in their governance. South Africa digs up the minerals that make AI possible. It has no say over the AI built from them. The AI triad framework covers algorithms, compute, and data. South Africa has no frontier model development capacity. South Africa holds significant data assets in financial services, health care, and agriculture, with no clear framework for their sovereign management. South Africa possesses PGM (Platinum Group Metals) leverage of global significance on the compute axis, currently being transferred without meaningful condition. It also has exceptionally high solar irradiance and significant renewable-energy potential . A country that can offer both critical mineral inputs and the energy to power the infrastructure those minerals help build occupies a negotiating position of unusual strength. The Draft Policy proposes no minimum terms for hyperscaler investment, no data sovereignty requirements, no technology transfer conditions and no compute visibility mechanism. Multiple provisions are explicitly left unresolved, marked “OPTION,” including the most consequential choices about how governance will function. Infrastructure decisions made now...
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South Africa Has AI Leverage. It hosts the largest data-center market on the continent. According to one analysis, the country’s data-center market was valued at US $2.16 billion in 2024, the largest in Africa .
TL;DR:
It hosts the largest data-center market on the continent.
Newatlas
May 27, 10:03
Taiwan officially opens the world's longest single-mast bridge
This week, Taiwan cut the red ribbon on a giant infrastructure project its own construction team once deemed "impossible:" the 3,000-ft-long Danjiang Bridge. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Infrastructure , Bridge , Taiwan , Zaha Hadid , Building and Construction
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Taiwan officially opens the world's longest single-mast bridge. This week, Taiwan cut the red ribbon on a giant infrastructure project its own construction team once deemed "impossible:" the 3,000-ft-long Danjiang Bridge. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Infrastructure , Bridge , Taiwan , Zaha Hadid , Building and Construction
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Infrastructure , Bridge , Taiwan , Zaha Hadid , Building and Construction
Refractor
May 27, 06:56
Nature's best aroma tells story of 100 million years of chemical warfare
The aroma of freshly cut grass is one of nature’s most recognizable and enjoyable scents, so you might be surprised to learn that it's actually the smell of chemical warfare that's been taking place right under our noses for longer than humans have walked the Earth. Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: National Taiwan University , Insect , Plants , Evolution , Warfare , molecular biology , Chemical Weapons , nature , Volatile Organic Compounds
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Nature's best aroma tells story of 100 million years of chemical warfare. The aroma of freshly cut grass is one of nature’s most recognizable and enjoyable scents, so you might be surprised to learn that it's actually the smell of chemical warfare that's been taking place right under our noses for longer than humans have walked the Earth.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: National Taiwan University , Insect , Plants , Evolution , Warfare , molecular biology , Chemical Weapons , nature , Volatile Organic Compounds
Newatlas
May 27, 04:24
Ultra-fast asteroid rotation threatens space-mining missions
Using an instrument called HiPERCAM, is attached to the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Palma, Spain, a team of researchers recently found that the near-Earth asteroid 2022 OB5 is rotating once every 1.542 minutes, classifying the space rock as an "ultra-fast rotator." Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: Asteroid Mining
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In a paper published in Icarus , the scientists claim their findings reflect a wider trend, making 2022 OB 5 one of many fast-spinning asteroids. For years, space mining startups have promised to tap into vast off-world resources that dwarf the limited supplies we have here on Earth. Another startup, Astroforge , is boldly pushing forward with its space mining plans.
TL;DR:
Using an instrument called HiPERCAM, is attached to the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Palma, Spain, a team of researchers recently found that the near-Earth asteroid 2022 OB5 is rotating once every 1.542 minutes, classifying the space rock as an "ultra-fast rotator." Continue Reading Category: Space Systems , Engineering Tags: Asteroid Mining
Refractor
May 27, 02:24
Hidden space between brain cells is now a new Alzheimer’s target
One of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience is why women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Now, we may be a step closer to understanding this phenomenon, with new findings that highlight an overlooked part of the brain that appears to fail as estrogen levels fall with age. Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Brain , Alzheimer's disease , Menopause , Women's health , Brain , Memory , Cognitive functioning , Neuroscience
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Hidden space between brain cells is now a new Alzheimer’s target. One of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience is why women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Brain , Alzheimer's disease , Menopause , Women's health , Brain , Memory , Cognitive functioning , Neuroscience
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Brain , Alzheimer's disease , Menopause , Women's health , Brain , Memory , Cognitive functioning , Neuroscience
Refractor
May 27, 00:32
Surprising osteoporosis warning sign found in the eyes
For many people, osteoporosis is only diagnosed following their first broken bone. Finding a cheap, accessible method for predicting this common bone-weakening condition early could help prevent the pain, debilitation, and potential death from serious fractures in more people around the world. Continue Reading Category: Imaging & Diagnostics , Medical Innovations , Body and Mind Tags: Duke-NUS Medical School , Osteoporosis , Eye , Diagnostic tools , Age-Related , Aging
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Surprising osteoporosis warning sign found in the eyes. For many people, osteoporosis is only diagnosed following their first broken bone. Continue Reading Category: Imaging & Diagnostics , Medical Innovations , Body and Mind Tags: Duke-NUS Medical School , Osteoporosis , Eye , Diagnostic tools , Age-Related , Aging
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Imaging & Diagnostics , Medical Innovations , Body and Mind Tags: Duke-NUS Medical School , Osteoporosis , Eye , Diagnostic tools , Age-Related , Aging
Designnews
May 26, 23:43
Can Smart Hotel Tech Outsmart Itself?
A recent hotel stay found some interesting smart tech features. They work fine as long as the power stays on.
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Can Smart Hotel Tech Outsmart Itself?. A recent hotel stay found some interesting smart tech features. They work fine as long as the power stays on.
TL;DR:
A recent hotel stay found some interesting smart tech features.
Newatlas
May 26, 23:04
Toyota micro-van brings budget tiny camping far beyond Japan
Wellhouse Leisure is no stranger to building small, highly efficient camper vans. As we've seen over the years, it does some seriously nice work in models like the Ford Transit Custom and Toyota Proace, as well as early adopting electric and PHEV campers. Now it's dropping downmarket to launch a new line of micro-campers, starting atop a proper kei van from Toyota/Daihatsu. The micro-van will become an incredibly efficient British Isle-roaming tiny camper with a price tag less than half of what some larger Wellhouse camper vans cost. Continue Reading Category: Campervans , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: mini-campervan , Campervan , RV , Kei Cars , Outdoors and Camping , Camping , wellhouse-leisure
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Toyota micro-van brings budget tiny camping far beyond Japan. Wellhouse Leisure is no stranger to building small, highly efficient camper vans. Continue Reading Category: Campervans , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: mini-campervan , Campervan , RV , Kei Cars , Outdoors and Camping , Camping , wellhouse-leisure
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Campervans , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: mini-campervan , Campervan , RV , Kei Cars , Outdoors and Camping , Camping , wellhouse-leisure
Designnews
May 26, 22:04
Nissan’s Upscale-Looking Sentra
An updated, safer Nissan Sentra appears at the NY Auto Show.
TL;DR:
An updated, safer Nissan Sentra appears at the NY Auto Show.
Designnews
May 26, 21:03
Mercedes-AMG Unveils Electric GT Coupe With 1,153 HP and 435-Mile Range
Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT Coupe delivers 1,153 HP, 435 miles of range, and groundbreaking axial-flux motor tech.
TL;DR:
Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT Coupe delivers 1,153 HP, 435 miles of range, and groundbreaking axial-flux motor tech.
Newatlas
May 26, 20:30
Deluxe adaptable vise spins and locks on two axes
Hobbyists may have wished for a third hand at times, when having to pause work in order to reset a vise clamp, but AxiGlide – a dual-axis vise currently on Kickstarter – offers a new angle on how such devices work. Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Tools
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Deluxe adaptable vise spins and locks on two axes. Hobbyists may have wished for a third hand at times, when having to pause work in order to reset a vise clamp, but AxiGlide – a dual-axis vise currently on Kickstarter – offers a new angle on how such devices work. Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Tools
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Around The Home , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , Tools
Newatlas
May 26, 19:00
Transparent solar cells could be mounted right on windows
One of the hindrances to large-scale solar adoption, especially in cities, is where to install the chunky panels. Rooftops? Skyscraper walls? Vast open spaces that dense urban centers barely have in the first place? Researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore say they may have solved part of this problem with solar cells so thin they are invisible enough to install directly onto windows. Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Nanyang Technological University , Solar Cell , Perovskite
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Transparent solar cells could be mounted right on windows. Researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore say they may have solved part of this problem with solar cells so thin they are invisible enough to install directly onto windows. Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Nanyang Technological University , Solar Cell , Perovskite
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Nanyang Technological University , Solar Cell , Perovskite
Designnews
May 26, 17:49
Scrapped Dexcom G7 Sensors Stolen, Sold to Customers
Dexcom warns customers that stolen, unsterilized G7 sensors from two lots were illegally sold through unauthorized distributor PharmsSource, posing infection and failure risks.
TL;DR:
Dexcom warns customers that stolen, unsterilized G7 sensors from two lots were illegally sold through unauthorized distributor PharmsSource, posing infection and failure risks.
Newatlas
May 26, 17:30
Near-zero cement takes a huge bite out of emissions
Cement has been a vital building block (pun intended) in constructing civilization. However, its manufacturing process has also made it a wrecking ball on the environment, with a carbon footprint that rivals that of the aviation industry. Scientists from the University of British Columbia have devised a method that dramatically cuts cement’s carbon footprint using electricity. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Building and Construction , University of British Columbia , Cement , Concrete , Environmentally-friendly , American Chemical Society
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However, its manufacturing process has also made it a wrecking ball on the environment, with a carbon footprint that rivals that of the aviation industry. Scientists from the University of British Columbia have devised a method that dramatically cuts cement’s carbon footprint using electricity.
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Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Building and Construction , University of British Columbia , Cement , Concrete , Environmentally-friendly , American Chemical Society
Newatlas
May 26, 16:03
Affordable humanoid robot aims for the teaching hands of developers
Until now, pretty much all humanoid robots have come with an eye-watering price tag. Rotaku, a startup from the San Francisco Bay Area, thinks that's a solvable engineering problem and made its first move to change that. Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Affordable , Robots , Learning
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Affordable humanoid robot aims for the teaching hands of developers. Until now, pretty much all humanoid robots have come with an eye-watering price tag. Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Affordable , Robots , Learning
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: Affordable , Robots , Learning
Newatlas
May 26, 14:33
Portable 4K projector doubles as a karaoke party machine
Portable projectors have come a long way from the simple movie-night gadgets they used to be not so long ago. Recently, companies have been adding features like built-in streaming platforms, better speakers, automatic setup, and outdoor-friendly designs. Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , Karaoke , All-in-one , Projectors , 4K UHD , Portable , Google TV
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Portable 4K projector doubles as a karaoke party machine. Portable projectors have come a long way from the simple movie-night gadgets they used to be not so long ago. Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , Karaoke , All-in-one , Projectors , 4K UHD , Portable , Google TV
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: xxKickbooster , Kickstarter , Karaoke , All-in-one , Projectors , 4K UHD , Portable , Google TV
Designnews
May 26, 13:10
UltiMaker Unveils Factor 4 Plus, a High-Speed Industrial 3D Printer with Automated Quality Validation
Factor 4 Plus offers double-speed industrial printing with automatic validation for manufacturing and defense applications.
TL;DR:
Factor 4 Plus offers double-speed industrial printing with automatic validation for manufacturing and defense applications.
Spectrum
May 26, 13:00
What It Takes to Preserve Floppy Disks
Floppy disks are several decades old—many of the disks are degrading and the data stored on them is at risk of being lost. In response, Leontien Talboom , a technical analyst at Cambridge University Libraries and Archives, led a roughly year-long project preserving floppy disks called “ Future Nostalgia ,” which concluded in January. Leontien Talboom Leontien Talboom is a technical analyst at Cambridge University Libraries and Archives, where she transfers material from a wide range of storage media to make them accessible to archivists. IEEE Spectrum spoke to Talboom about her work preserving data from Cambridge’s collection of floppy disks and collecting knowledge about the disks themselves. Why is it important to preserve floppy disks now? Leontien Talboom: Two reasons. First, the physical media is starting to degrade. Floppy disks are made from plastic, but they’ve got a magnetic layer of iron oxide, and that’s deteriorating. A lot of floppy disks are found in attics or garages, which means they also suffer from mold. Second, a lot of people who developed floppy disks and systems that use floppy disks are starting to retire or pass away, which means that a lot of tacit knowledge is disappearing. Whom did you go to for that tacit knowledge? Talboom: I went to the retro computing community. Their work is more around preserving these machines to keep them running [than] the data that lives on the floppy disk. But they know their stuff about floppy disks. For example, they know that in a lot of the older disks, the inside of the disk—the doughnut—gets stuck to the top. So if you flex the casing, the doughnut falls down again. If I hadn’t known that, I would have assumed that those disks in our collection were broken or corrupt. What is the most difficult part of working with floppy disks? Talboom: Accessing the files can be quite challenging if we don’t understand the file system. Within libraries and archives, we get a lot of material from machines that are not as well loved. Many of the personal computers that you had at home, such as the Amstrad or ZX Spectrum or BBC Micro , are very well documented. But a bunch of our material comes from business or research systems. They’re not as nostalgic for people, so there’s not as big a community preserving this type of material. Do you have a favorite type of floppy disk? Talboom: Five and a quarter. The weirder the system, the more frustrating and fun it is. I quite like doing that detective work. The Amstrad disk has also really stolen my heart. The popularity of floppy disks is very geographically dependent. Our library, for example, has these Amstrad 3-inch disks. But if you go to the U.S., they’re really uncommon. They weren’t able to manufacture enough of these drives, and [3.5-inch disks] took over at a certain point. But they’re really cute. What’s the best method for sustainably storing data? Talboom: The main thing is actively looking after it. A lot of the floppy disks we get in the library haven’t been accessed for 20 or 30 years, which means that you need certain special hardware to actually read them, and then work with emulators or other tools to make these file formats accessible. Now that we’ve done that work and transferred it, we can monitor it and make sure it’s not suffering from anything like bit rot. We can also make decisions around migrating it to other file formats or working on specific file systems or unknown file formats in more detail. This article appears in the June 2026 print issue as “Leontien Talboom.”
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What It Takes to Preserve Floppy Disks. Why is it important to preserve floppy disks now? But they know their stuff about floppy disks.
TL;DR:
Floppy disks are several decades old—many of the disks are degrading and the data stored on them is at risk of being lost.
Newatlas
May 26, 12:57
Dutch timber homes hit carbon-negative milestone with Delft Red reboot
With the constant pressure for architecture to reduce its massive carbon footprint, studios are always looking for solutions beyond traditional materials. ORGA from the Netherlands has taken on this challenge, rewriting the rulebook by building a carbon-negative neighborhood prototype in the village of Marknesse. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Carbon Neutral , sustainable design , Timber , Building and Construction , Prototype
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Dutch timber homes hit carbon-negative milestone with Delft Red reboot. With the constant pressure for architecture to reduce its massive carbon footprint, studios are always looking for solutions beyond traditional materials. Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Carbon Neutral , sustainable design , Timber , Building and Construction , Prototype
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Architecture , Engineering Tags: Carbon Neutral , sustainable design , Timber , Building and Construction , Prototype
Newatlas
May 26, 11:00
Ferrari's first EV is a surprisingly practical 5-seater
I certainly didn't have a zero-emissions Ferrari sedan on my 2026 Bingo card, but that's what we're getting with the Luce. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Electric Vehicles , Ferrari , Sedan
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Ferrari's first EV is a surprisingly practical 5-seater. I certainly didn't have a zero-emissions Ferrari sedan on my 2026 Bingo card, but that's what we're getting with the Luce. Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Electric Vehicles , Ferrari , Sedan
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Automotive , Transport Tags: Electric Vehicles , Ferrari , Sedan
Spectrum
May 26, 10:00
Meet NASA Low Outgassing Standards With Adhesives for Aerospace and Optical Systems
This sponsored article is brought to you by Master Bond . Outgassing is the release of volatile substances from a cured adhesive over time. These released materials, which may include residual solvents, unreacted monomers, or other chemical species, can deposit on nearby surfaces, causing contamination that interferes with sensitive components. What Is Outgassing and How Is It Measured? The industry standard for measuring outgassing is ASTM E595, developed by NASA . This test exposes a cured sample to 125 °C at high vacuum (10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁶ torr) for 24 hours, measuring Total Mass Loss (TML) and Collected Volatile Condensable Materials (CVCM). To meet NASA low outgassing requirements, materials must exhibit less than 1 percent TML and less than 0.1 percent CVCM. Optical assemblies need contamination-free bonding and prevention of fogging the optics to maintain clarity. High-vacuum scientific equipment, semiconductor manufacturing tools, and aerospace electronics also demand low outgassing materials. Key Applications Low outgassing adhesives are essential wherever contamination could compromise performance and this is particularly relevant for space and satellite systems. Optical assemblies , including cameras, telescopes, and laser systems, need contamination-free bonding and prevention of fogging the optics to maintain clarity. High-vacuum scientific equipment, semiconductor manufacturing tools, and aerospace electronics also demand low outgassing materials. Even terrestrial optical devices benefit from reduced outgassing to ensure long-term reliability. EP30-2 is a versatile system can be used in a variety of applications in aerospace, electronic, optical and specialty OEM industries, especially when optical clarity and low outgassing are important criteria. Master Bond Ensuring Low Outgassing Performance Through Proper Handling Achieving specified outgassing performance requires attention to storage, mixing, and curing. For two-part systems, use the correct mix ratio and mix thoroughly to ensure complete reaction. Follow recommended cure schedules — adding heat, even at modest temperatures of 150-200 °F, significantly improves cross-linking and reduces outgassing. For UV-curable adhesives, ensure complete cure by using the correct lamp wavelength (typically 365 nm), adequate intensity, and proper exposure time with no shadowed areas. Troubleshooting Outgassing Issues If contamination appears on optical surfaces or outgassing test results are higher than expected, an incomplete cure might be one of the root causes. The first step is to verify that the adhesive has fully hardened to its specified Shore hardness. The next step is to consider adding or extending heat cure to improve cross-linking. Master Bond Product Recommendations Master Bond offers a range of adhesives meeting NASA low outgassing requirements. EP30-2 and EP21TCHT-1 are some examples of two-part epoxy systems that have been successfully deployed in demanding vacuum applications, including ultra-high vacuum environments. For applications requiring UV cure, Master Bond provides specialty UV formulations such as UV16 meeting ASTM E595, as well as dual-cure systems (UV plus heat) such as UV22DC80-10F for assemblies where shadows prevent complete UV exposure. These dual-cure products initiate with UV light and complete curing with heat as low as 180 °F (80 °C).
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This sponsored article is brought to you by Master Bond . Outgassing is the release of volatile substances from a cured adhesive over time. These released materials, which may include residual solvents, unreacted monomers, or other chemical species, can deposit on nearby surfaces, causing contamination that interferes with sensitive components.
TL;DR:
High-vacuum scientific equipment, semiconductor manufacturing tools, and aerospace electronics also demand low outgassing materials.
Refractor
May 26, 05:49
I predicted the enhanced games 25 years ago. Here’s what I think now.
Never considering myself much of a writer in my youth, I entered the Young Queensland Writers’ Award in Australia with a throwaway short story I’d whipped up on a whim one weekend in my early twenties. Continue Reading Category: Fitness & Exercise , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: Sport , Drugs , Olympics
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I predicted the enhanced games 25 years ago. Never considering myself much of a writer in my youth, I entered the Young Queensland Writers’ Award in Australia with a throwaway short story I’d whipped up on a whim one weekend in my early twenties. Continue Reading Category: Fitness & Exercise , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: Sport , Drugs , Olympics
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Fitness & Exercise , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: Sport , Drugs , Olympics
Designnews
May 26, 03:43
CU Boulder Researchers Launch OpenVCAD, a Tool for Multi-Material 3D Printing
The open-source platform lets engineers efficiently design complex multi-material 3D printed objects.
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CU Boulder Researchers Launch OpenVCAD, a Tool for Multi-Material 3D Printing. The open-source platform lets engineers efficiently design complex multi-material 3D printed objects.
TL;DR:
The open-source platform lets engineers efficiently design complex multi-material 3D printed objects.
Refractor
May 26, 02:47
Earliest signs of dementia may be in our blood long before diagnosis
Ashleigh Barrett-Young, University of Otago/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Alzheimer's disease , Biomarkers , Blood , Brain , Aging
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Alzheimer’s disease , a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions worldwide, has a long preclinical stage. In recent years, we’ve seen advances in pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease . It is likely these treatments work best when taken early, which makes it more important to identify the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
TL;DR:
Ashleigh Barrett-Young, University of Otago/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Alzheimer's disease , Biomarkers , Blood , Brain , Aging
Newatlas
May 26, 01:52
Humanoids are heading to school as China readies them for real life
The first humanoid "training school" for robots of all shapes and sizes will open its doors in July, bringing together more than 100 different models made by a host of companies. As well as mastering real-world skills, the humanoids will provide unique data that'll be used to advance the bots that follow in their footsteps. Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: China , Robot Factory , School , Training , Artificial Intelligence , Humanoid
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Humanoids are heading to school as China readies them for real life. The first humanoid "training school" for robots of all shapes and sizes will open its doors in July, bringing together more than 100 different models made by a host of companies.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: AI and Humanoids , Technology Tags: China , Robot Factory , School , Training , Artificial Intelligence , Humanoid
Refractor
May 26, 01:10
This plant could be the smartest carnivore on the planet
There are more than 800 known species of carnivorous plants. Despite their diverse designs, they all have one thing in common: they are built to trap and kill prey for survival. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , Insect , Carnivorous Plants , Predator , Animal science , Nutrition , nature , Ecosystem
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There are more than 800 known species of carnivorous plants. Despite their diverse designs, they all have one thing in common: they are built to trap and kill prey for survival. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , Insect , Carnivorous Plants , Predator , Animal science , Nutrition , nature , Ecosystem
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , Insect , Carnivorous Plants , Predator , Animal science , Nutrition , nature , Ecosystem
Refractor
May 25, 22:52
Watch: Disabled parrot takes up jousting to stay king of the keas
A disabled kea – a native New Zealand parrot – has invented a bizarre jousting technique that helped turn him into the undefeated alpha male of his group. While parrots are known for their smarts, this particular level of inventiveness to hold his place among peers shows real ingenuity and resourcefulness. Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: New Zealand , Parrot , Disability , Animal science , Behavior , adaptive , Fighter
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Watch: Disabled parrot takes up jousting to stay king of the keas. A disabled kea – a native New Zealand parrot – has invented a bizarre jousting technique that helped turn him into the undefeated alpha male of his group. Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: New Zealand , Parrot , Disability , Animal science , Behavior , adaptive , Fighter
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Environment , Science Tags: New Zealand , Parrot , Disability , Animal science , Behavior , adaptive , Fighter
Designnews
May 25, 21:13
5 Challenges for New Apple CEO John Ternus
John Ternus becomes Apple CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook. He faces AI competition, supply chain issues, and innovation challenges in his new role.
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5 Challenges for New Apple CEO John Ternus. John Ternus becomes Apple CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook. He faces AI competition, supply chain issues, and innovation challenges in his new role.
TL;DR:
John Ternus becomes Apple CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook.
Newatlas
May 25, 20:30
Mag-locking carabiner keychains boast three levels of security
Titaner is a company that has been producing titanium everyday carry (EDC) gear for more than 20 years. Its products typically focus on compact form, durability, and smart mechanical design. Its latest offering is called the Titaner Matrix. Currently available on Kickstarter, it’s a series of titanium carabiner keychains built around a unique multi-level locking system. Continue Reading Category: Knives and Multitools , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , EDC , Titanium
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Mag-locking carabiner keychains boast three levels of security. Titaner is a company that has been producing titanium everyday carry (EDC) gear for more than 20 years. Continue Reading Category: Knives and Multitools , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , EDC , Titanium
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Knives and Multitools , Gear , Outdoors Tags: Kickstarter , xxKickbooster , EDC , Titanium
Newatlas
May 25, 18:48
Penguin-inspired material can switch between heating and cooling modes
You know that frustration after you gear up for a snowy day, only to have to take it all off in a heated office? Well, penguins don't. Come sweltering heat or frigid cold, they just chill. Inspired by these clumsy masters of thermal management, scientists have created a material that can passively switch between heating and cooling modes. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Biomimicry , Harbin Institute of Technology , Heating , Cooling
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Penguin-inspired material can switch between heating and cooling modes. Inspired by these clumsy masters of thermal management, scientists have created a material that can passively switch between heating and cooling modes. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Biomimicry , Harbin Institute of Technology , Heating , Cooling
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Biomimicry , Harbin Institute of Technology , Heating , Cooling
Spectrum
May 25, 18:00
IEEE TryEngineering OnCampus Program Expands to 7 Universities
The OnCampus program, administered by IEEE Educational Activities , last year expanded its engineering experiences from two to seven universities. Part of TryEngineering , the program is held at universities around the world, offering preuniversity students hands-on opportunities to solve engineering problems. The IEEE Innovation Committee provided funding for the additional locations. New participating institutions The electrical engineering and computing faculty at the University of Zagreb , in Croatia, hosted a two-day program in June. Twenty-five children ages 10 to 14 participated in lectures and workshops on artificial intelligence, computer science, robotics, and astronomy. Tomislav Jagušt , an IEEE senior member and the chair of the IEEE preuniversity coordinating committee , led the program. In September the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport ’s engineering college held a two-day session at its Abu Kir, Egypt, campus. Fifty students participated in hands-on activities on Ohm’s law , radio communications , and circuit building . They also learned from professors about engineering careers and job opportunities. Also in September, the Majan University College, in Muscat, Oman , hosted 40 high school students who competed in six challenges to design and build circuits. These include an IoT design and an LED brightness control using a potentiometer , a three-terminal, manually adjustable resistor that functions as a variable voltage divider. The program also highlighted AI and quantum computing technologies and introduced students to job opportunities in the fields. The workshop transformed curiosity into creation, empowering students with technical skills and confidence in emerging technologies. In November at the Universiti Malaysia Perlis , in Arau, 50 students explored the fundamentals of quantum computational intelligence and AI through hands-on activities and interactive simulations. IEEE Senior Member Mohd Hafiz Ismail , a professor of electronic engineering and technology, gave an introduction about quantum computing intelligence technology. The Hellenic Robotics Center of Excellence at the National Technical University of Athens hosted a two-day session in December. Twenty-five students explored robotics and AI through hands-on design challenges such as TryEngineering’s AI and machine learning methods . They also toured the university’s research facilities. Hong Kong and Greek universities participate again The City University and St. Francis University in Hong Kong , and the University of Ioannina, Arta campus, Greece , participated in the program for a second year. Under the leadership of IEEE Senior Member Paulina Chan and volunteers from the IEEE Hong Kong Section , the City and St. Francis universities jointly held the program in July. They welcomed 55 students ages 12 to 18 from 41 schools. The students attended tutorials on foundational concepts and theories of AI. They worked in small teams on projects using AI-generated images, voice, and music manipulations. They were coached by students from St. Francis and Imperial College London . The participants presented their projects to judges, teachers, and parents. The students also visited a nearby semiconductor equipment manufacturer to learn about technology careers from engineers working there. The results of a post-program survey showed strong satisfaction with OnCampus, with nearly 75 percent of participants giving it a rating of 4 or higher out of 5. “I enjoyed getting to know about deep learning and its application,” one student participant said. “The content of the activity matched my interest, and I gained new knowledge.” “OnCampus is led by a strong team with lots of experts in the field,” another said. “It’s a rare chance for students to use software, learn about the theory behind how deep learning works, and get a glance at future possibilities.” The University of Ioannina hosted the program in Arta in July with support from IEEE Senior Member Stamatis Dragoumanos and IEEE members Nikos Giannakeas and Eleftheria Kallinikou . Nearly 50 students, ages 12 to 16, attended the seven-day event, supported by 17 instructors and six volunteers from the university’s IEEE student branch . The students learned about AI, augmented reality, microchip design, microcontrollers, and 3D printing. They also attended presentations by engineers from the industry. To give the students exposure to real-world engineering, they visited two hydroelectric power plants and a green data center. At the end of the program, students presented their projects and showcased the technical skills they had developed. Those involved in the TryEngineering OnCampus program are proud of the impactful experiences students have gained. The opportunities are possible because universities open their doors, share their expertise, and invest in the next generation of innovators. The University of Zagreb , the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, ...
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IEEE TryEngineering OnCampus Program Expands to 7 Universities. The students also visited a nearby semiconductor equipment manufacturer to learn about technology careers from engineers working there. They also attended presentations by engineers from the industry.
TL;DR:
They also attended presentations by engineers from the industry.
Newatlas
May 25, 16:25
Earth’s outer core reversed direction in 2010 and scientists may finally know why
Deep beneath the Pacific near the equator, Earth’s outer core now flows east instead of west. Dynamics deeper within our planet’s core may help explain the change and what to expect in the near future. Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: Earth core , Magnetic field , Geology
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Earth’s outer core reversed direction in 2010 and scientists may finally know why. Dynamics deeper within our planet’s core may help explain the change and what to expect in the near future. Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: Earth core , Magnetic field , Geology
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: Earth core , Magnetic field , Geology
Newatlas
May 25, 15:30
Spin this dial to scroll through your ebooks
I've always felt like the Kindle could do with a better way to flip ebook pages. DuRoBo might have solved exactly that problem, with a little dial on the side of its compact E Ink device. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: eBook , Kindle , E-Ink , ePaper , Reading , Android
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Spin this dial to scroll through your ebooks. DuRoBo might have solved exactly that problem, with a little dial on the side of its compact E Ink device. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: eBook , Kindle , E-Ink , ePaper , Reading , Android
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Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: eBook , Kindle , E-Ink , ePaper , Reading , Android
Newatlas
May 25, 13:54
Single-level tiny house makes long-term small living comfortable
Clever space-saving layouts are all well and good, but not everyone wants to climb ladders and crawl into loft bedrooms every night. The Surya tiny house avoids this and instead opts for a spacious single-floor interior that's well-suited to comfortable long-term living. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Home , House , Micro-House
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Single-level tiny house makes long-term small living comfortable. The Surya tiny house avoids this and instead opts for a spacious single-floor interior that's well-suited to comfortable long-term living. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Home , House , Micro-House
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Home , House , Micro-House
Spectrum
May 25, 13:00
Reclaiming Social Engineering for Good
“Social engineering” sounds like something out of a conspiracy thriller, charged with totalitarian control and fringe paranoia. More mundanely, it’s come to be associated with phishing and other scams, in which fraudsters manipulate people into disclosing personal information. Yet the concept is older and more benign: it is the deliberate shaping of human behavior, often at scale. It predates silicon—and became pervasive, and ungoverned, especially once its practitioners learned to hide it. Authoritarian regimes and more recently scammers and big companies have profited from it. To defend ourselves from bad actors, and to benefit from social engineering’s good side, we need to reclaim the name, and govern it prudently . The roots of engineering In 1894, Dutch entrepreneur Jacques van Marken urged companies to hire “social engineers” to manage human systems such as insurance, education, and profit sharing for workers as carefully as they did mechanical ones. Fifteen years later, reformer William H. Tolman published Social Engineering , describing how U.S. industrialists optimized workers’ conditions alongside manufacturing methods. If industrialists could shape steel and electricity on demand, why not society itself? By the 1920s, that confidence had spread. The architect Le Corbusier declared that dwellings were “machines for living in,” imagining cities as orderly lattices where people moved like parts on a conveyor belt. Civilization would run like a Swiss watch. The idea soon darkened. Authoritarian regimes pushed it to extremes, promising to fashion “ the New Man .” In Nazi Germany, engineer Fritz Todt founded Organization Todt, a vast state engineering enterprise that emerged from the autobahn highway system and later operated concentration camps using slave labor. In the Soviet Union, leaders adopted U.S. scientific management techniques to plan factory-worker movements and classify populations through centralized records, feeding both rapid industrialization drives and the gulag system of forced labor. The same tools and managerial methods used to build highways and enact five-year plans worked for repression and mass control. By the 1950s, “social engineering” had become a contaminated phrase. The revelations of Nazi and Soviet abuses, along with Cold War critiques of grand social planning turned the term from a progressive slogan into a warning label. Banishing the words pushed the practice underground, making it harder to recognize when it resurfaced in new forms—such as organizational psychology and systems management that still relied on classification and behavioral influence techniques but under softer, less loaded labels. Social engineering’s more subtle spread In the postwar years, the new social-engineering lexicon included “human factors” and “urban planning,” all promising integration rather than command. As computing advanced, the language shifted again: “customer journey mapping” to track interactions, “user experience” to script them. Engineering, which began as a means of reshaping physical space, set its sights on shaping behavior. Digital design features embedded in our smartphones now target our attention and desire. Language helps conceal these modern forms of social engineering. “Data analytics” sounds neutral beside “surveillance.” “Personalization” flatters individuality while still sorting users into predictable categories. “Behavioral nudges” guide decisions without the sense of intrusion. We attach “social” as a favorable modifier to sciences, capital, and media, yet recoil when it meets “engineering.” That discomfort is a clue. Engineering implies control, and control prompts us to ask who directs whom, toward what ends, and with whose permission. Not all social engineering these days is hidden. Hackers don’t need to break a firewall if someone hands over their password. Romance scammers cultivate intimacy the way farmers cultivate crops. They succeed not through force but by exploiting trust. If even these obvious attacks work, the invisible kind, with roots in social engineering, are a shoo-in. Most of the social engineering we encounter is proprietary and beyond our control. Firms build recommendation algorithms tuned to boost engagement and profit with no hearings or right of appeal. Browser and cookie defaults decide what data we surrender. A single autoplay toggle can cost users hours and build unhealthy habits. These are acts of engineering as deliberate as laying a road or redrawing an electoral district. They create a kind of curated itch by which boredom never settles, and satisfaction never arrives. The results are predictable—users click on targeted ads, make purchases, form habits, and lock in opinions. Consent has transformed along with it. Once straightforward and revocable, it is now subtle and persistent, buried in defaults or opaque terms of service too quickly accepted. You remain free to opt out, much as you are free to refuse roads or electricity. Co...
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Reclaiming Social Engineering for Good. Not all social engineering these days is hidden. Most of the social engineering we encounter is proprietary and beyond our control.
TL;DR:
“Social engineering” sounds like something out of a conspiracy thriller, charged with totalitarian control and fringe paranoia.
Newatlas
May 25, 12:03
Fusing silk gives it Kevlar-like strength for next-gen implants
Silk isn't just great as a smooth fabric for luxurious clothing: it's finding a wide range of uses in everything from edible food-preserving wrappers to skin-friendly wearable health monitoring sensors. There's plenty of scope to enhance its characteristics too, and a simple new approach has allowed it to get about as tough as Kevlar. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Silk , Kevlar , Tufts University , Imperial College London , University of Michigan
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Fusing silk gives it Kevlar-like strength for next-gen implants. Silk isn't just great as a smooth fabric for luxurious clothing: it's finding a wide range of uses in everything from edible food-preserving wrappers to skin-friendly wearable health monitoring sensors.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: Silk , Kevlar , Tufts University , Imperial College London , University of Michigan
Content
May 25, 10:00
AI with Model-Based Design: Virtual Sensor Modeling
This webinar presents a workflow offering end-to-end solutions for designing, training, validating and verifying, compressing, and deploying AI-based virtual sensor models to embedded processors within a single environment. Highlights Integrate AI models into Simulink for system-level simulation, verification, and simulation-based testing Apply formal verification techniques to assert neural network behavior Compress the AI model for memory footprint reduction and execution speedup Generate library-free C code from AI models and performing PIL tests Profile code performance and evaluate design and model selection tradeoffs Design and train AI-based virtual sensors using MATLAB Register now for this free webinar!
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This webinar presents a workflow offering end-to-end solutions for designing, training, validating and verifying, compressing, and deploying AI-based virtual sensor models to embedded processors within a single environment.
TL;DR:
This webinar presents a workflow offering end-to-end solutions for designing, training, validating and verifying, compressing, and deploying AI-based virtual sensor models to embedded processors within a single environment.
Newatlas
May 25, 06:37
RAF's blow-up missile systems simulate advanced air-defense threats
The RAF is buying inflatable missile batteries. It may seem daft, but these lookalike launchers aren't a gag or a ludicrous cost-cutting measure. Part of the new Sting system, their job is to help train fighter pilots in taking out ground-to-air threats. Continue Reading Category: Military , Engineering Tags: Royal Air Force , Aircraft , Fighter , Missile Defense
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RAF's blow-up missile systems simulate advanced air-defense threats. Part of the new Sting system, their job is to help train fighter pilots in taking out ground-to-air threats. Continue Reading Category: Military , Engineering Tags: Royal Air Force , Aircraft , Fighter , Missile Defense
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Military , Engineering Tags: Royal Air Force , Aircraft , Fighter , Missile Defense
Refractor
May 25, 03:59
Stormy weather linked with spikes in stroke and brain hemorrhages
Stormy skies could send more patients to the emergency room, according to an analysis of weather systems and medical data by researchers in Hungary. Continue Reading Category: Stroke , Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Stroke , Brain , Tropical Storms , Emergency
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Stormy weather linked with spikes in stroke and brain hemorrhages. Stormy skies could send more patients to the emergency room, according to an analysis of weather systems and medical data by researchers in Hungary. Continue Reading Category: Stroke , Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Stroke , Brain , Tropical Storms , Emergency
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Stroke , Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Stroke , Brain , Tropical Storms , Emergency
Refractor
May 25, 01:34
Your handwriting might reveal more about your brain than you realize
Many of us probably don't get much time to put pen to paper these days, with our world of correspondence now dominated by digital communication. But a new study from Portugal's University of Évora suggests that changes in handwriting could be an early red flag of serious age-related cognitive decline. Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Dementia , Cognitive functioning , Brain , Diagnostic tools , Alzheimer's disease , Writing , Processing
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Your handwriting might reveal more about your brain than you realize. But a new study from Portugal's University of Évora suggests that changes in handwriting could be an early red flag of serious age-related cognitive decline.
TL;DR:
Continue Reading Category: Brain Health , Body and Mind Tags: Dementia , Cognitive functioning , Brain , Diagnostic tools , Alzheimer's disease , Writing , Processing
Newatlas
May 25, 01:30
75 years of the Fender Telecaster: The guitar that changed the world
This year Fender is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster, and Nashville was chosen to host the Tele Town birthday party. Continue Reading Category: Music , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Fender , Fender Telecaster , Guitar , Features , Interviews
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75 years of the Fender Telecaster: The guitar that changed the world. This year Fender is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster, and Nashville was chosen to host the Tele Town birthday party. Continue Reading Category: Music , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Fender , Fender Telecaster , Guitar , Features , Interviews
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Continue Reading Category: Music , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Fender , Fender Telecaster , Guitar , Features , Interviews
Refractor
May 25, 00:11
Great Pyramid's natural frequency could be the secret to its survival
Colin Caprani, Monash University & Scott Menegon, Swinburne University of Technology/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: pyramids , Archaeology , Earthquake , History
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The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt has survived for more than 4,500 years. Every structure has a natural rhythm. If earthquake shaking matches a structure’s natural frequency, the motion can be amplified.
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Colin Caprani, Monash University & Scott Menegon, Swinburne University of Technology/ The Conversation Continue Reading Category: Physics , Science Tags: pyramids , Archaeology , Earthquake , History
Newatlas
May 24, 23:03
Hybrid Texas power plant blends the best of gas and nuclear
Want to build a power plant and can't decide between nuclear and natural gas? Why not opt for both? That's the strategy that Blue Energy has developed in collaboration with GE Vernova for a proposed 2.5-GW hybrid facility in Texas that uses both fuels. Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Small Modular Nuclear Reactor , Gas , Power Stations
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Hybrid Texas power plant blends the best of gas and nuclear. Want to build a power plant and can't decide between nuclear and natural gas? Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Small Modular Nuclear Reactor , Gas , Power Stations
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Continue Reading Category: Energy , Engineering Tags: Small Modular Nuclear Reactor , Gas , Power Stations
Newatlas
May 24, 15:03
Compact but comfortable tiny house is built for life on the road
Not every tiny house has to be a massive apartment on wheels. Case in point is the Koala Bear, which embraces the roots of the small living movement and leans into its strength as a portable home for one or two modern nomads. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
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Compact but comfortable tiny house is built for life on the road. Not every tiny house has to be a massive apartment on wheels. Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
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Continue Reading Category: Tiny Houses , Outdoors Tags: Building and Construction , Tiny Footprint , Micro-House , House , Home
Newatlas
May 24, 11:03
Sony's wearable 'air conditioner' gets better fit and stronger cooling
Don't sweat it if you didn't know there's such a thing as a wearable air conditioner. It's not a miniature version of the real thing in your home, and only a couple of brands make this sort of thing, so they haven't yet gone properly mainstream. Continue Reading Category: Wearables , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Sony , Air Conditioners , Gadgets
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Sony's wearable 'air conditioner' gets better fit and stronger cooling. Don't sweat it if you didn't know there's such a thing as a wearable air conditioner. Continue Reading Category: Wearables , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Sony , Air Conditioners , Gadgets
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Continue Reading Category: Wearables , Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Sony , Air Conditioners , Gadgets
Newatlas
May 24, 05:03
China's "budget" supersport bike is putting WorldSSP on notice
I admit, I was a little perplexed when I read the news that ZXMoto had become the first Chinese manufacturer to win a World Supersport race. Surely not? ZXMoto? Who’s that? So many questions. And when I started wrapping my head around the brand and the significance of this victory, I truly understood why the emergence of ZXMoto matters. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: ZXMoto , Supersports , WSBK , Racing , Ducati , Yamaha , China
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China's "budget" supersport bike is putting WorldSSP on notice. I admit, I was a little perplexed when I read the news that ZXMoto had become the first Chinese manufacturer to win a World Supersport race. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: ZXMoto , Supersports , WSBK , Racing , Ducati , Yamaha , China
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Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles , Transport Tags: ZXMoto , Supersports , WSBK , Racing , Ducati , Yamaha , China
Newatlas
May 23, 15:03
British Army mounts massive gun on tiny truck for a speedy punch
The British Army is packing a lot of firepower into a very small chassis by placing an order for 72 Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155) systems mounted on alarmingly compact Boxer armored vehicles that are practically dwarfed by the remotely operated guns sitting on top of them. Continue Reading Category: Military , Engineering Tags: British Army , Rheinmetall Defence , Artillery
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British Army mounts massive gun on tiny truck for a speedy punch. The British Army is packing a lot of firepower into a very small chassis by placing an order for 72 Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155) systems mounted on alarmingly compact Boxer armored vehicles that are practically dwarfed by the remotely operated guns sitting on top of them.
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Continue Reading Category: Military , Engineering Tags: British Army , Rheinmetall Defence , Artillery
Newatlas
May 23, 09:03
LG’s 1000-Hz FHD gaming monitor is overkill – but that’s the point
Gaming monitor refresh rates have been steadily climbing over the years: from 144 Hz to 240 Hz, 360 Hz, and beyond, with each jump promising a slight visual feedback edge for competitive players. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: LG , Gaming , Monitor , Screens , Performance , HD
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LG’s 1000-Hz FHD gaming monitor is overkill – but that’s the point. Gaming monitor refresh rates have been steadily climbing over the years: from 144 Hz to 240 Hz, 360 Hz, and beyond, with each jump promising a slight visual feedback edge for competitive players. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: LG , Gaming , Monitor , Screens , Performance , HD
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Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: LG , Gaming , Monitor , Screens , Performance , HD
Newatlas
May 23, 01:03
Sony's flagship 1000X over-ear headphones exude luxury and comfort
Sony's celebrating the 10th anniversary of its flagship 1000X series of headphones with a special release, the 1000X The Collexion. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Headphones , Sony , Noise-Canceling
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Sony's flagship 1000X over-ear headphones exude luxury and comfort. Sony's celebrating the 10th anniversary of its flagship 1000X series of headphones with a special release, the 1000X The Collexion. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Headphones , Sony , Noise-Canceling
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Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Headphones , Sony , Noise-Canceling
Refractor
May 23, 00:12
Watch: Daredevil fish climb 50-foot waterfall in never-seen-before video
At the end of the rainy and beginning of the dry season, thousands of small fish, about 5 cm (2 inches) in length, begin scaling a near-vertical rock face soaked in waterfall splash. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Marine Biology , Behavior , Animal science , nature
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Watch: Daredevil fish climb 50-foot waterfall in never-seen-before video. At the end of the rainy and beginning of the dry season, thousands of small fish, about 5 cm (2 inches) in length, begin scaling a near-vertical rock face soaked in waterfall splash. Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Marine Biology , Behavior , Animal science , nature
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Continue Reading Category: Biology , Science Tags: Marine Biology , Behavior , Animal science , nature
Newatlas
May 22, 23:07
Jeep tiny camper might just be tougher than the Wrangler itself
Utah startup Addax Outdoors unleashed a rather unexpected micro-camping trailer on the floor of SEMA 2022. While rugged teardrop-sized trailers are par for the course at the high-flash auto supplier show, the original Addax Overland trailer was developed with a rare combination of military toughness and land speed record vehicle expertise. It sized in even tinier than the typical off-road tagalong and wore official "Jeep" badging. The rugged, little sub-teardrop Jeep trailer, now named the Basecamp, has run through a full V3.0 update regimen and packs more trail and adventure readiness than ever. It's an electrified steel core ready to explode into a multi-sport adventure base. Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: Off-road , Jeep , Trailer , trailers , RV , Caravan , Camping , Outdoors and Camping
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Jeep tiny camper might just be tougher than the Wrangler itself. Utah startup Addax Outdoors unleashed a rather unexpected micro-camping trailer on the floor of SEMA 2022. Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: Off-road , Jeep , Trailer , trailers , RV , Caravan , Camping , Outdoors and Camping
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Continue Reading Category: Camping Trailers , Adventure Vehicles , Outdoors Tags: Off-road , Jeep , Trailer , trailers , RV , Caravan , Camping , Outdoors and Camping
Designnews
May 22, 22:36
A Practical Conversation about Risk Management
Working in product development has its challenges. We are smart people. We all tend to work hard. So why do we struggle with projects at times? I always enjoyed the idea of innovation.
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A Practical Conversation about Risk Management. In my first job, I was introduced to risk management. However, they tend to minimize the risk.
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In my first job, I was introduced to risk management.
Designnews
May 22, 20:42
Using Precious Metals for Medical Devices
Explore the latest developments in custom alloys, advanced metals processing capabilities, supply chain concerns, recycling benefits, and the future outlook for precious metal materials, from Tanaka executive Kunihiro Shima.
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Explore the latest developments in custom alloys, advanced metals processing capabilities, supply chain concerns, recycling benefits, and the future outlook for precious metal materials, from Tanaka executive Kunihiro Shima.
Designnews
May 22, 20:18
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Chief Engineer Oliver Wiech Showcases its Tech Highlights
The AMG-GT's chief engineer deserves a moment to brag about his team's accomplishments in this incredible new EV.
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The AMG-GT's chief engineer deserves a moment to brag about his team's accomplishments in this incredible new EV.
Newatlas
May 22, 19:30
Soundcore's screen-equipped earbuds moonlight as a meeting note-taker
Anker's audio hardware brand Soundcore has expanded its Liberty lineup of wireless earbuds with a new feature-packed model aimed at productivity nerds. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Artificial Intelligence , Earbuds , Earphones , Translation
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Soundcore's screen-equipped earbuds moonlight as a meeting note-taker. Anker's audio hardware brand Soundcore has expanded its Liberty lineup of wireless earbuds with a new feature-packed model aimed at productivity nerds. Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Artificial Intelligence , Earbuds , Earphones , Translation
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Continue Reading Category: Consumer Tech , Technology Tags: Artificial Intelligence , Earbuds , Earphones , Translation
Designnews
May 22, 18:06
Toyota’s Affordable Sporty Coupe
GR86 offers slick handling and light weight at reasonable price.
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GR86 offers slick handling and light weight at reasonable price.
Newatlas
May 22, 17:49
Bizarre triple zipper creates rigid 3-D shapes in seconds
A patent filed in 1985 is being dusted off as a source of inspiration for a new 3D-printed triangular-shaped zipper that seamlessly fastens chairs, tents, robots and purses, making them simpler to pack and set up just with a press of a button. Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: MIT , Flexible , 3D Printing
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Bizarre triple zipper creates rigid 3-D shapes in seconds. A patent filed in 1985 is being dusted off as a source of inspiration for a new 3D-printed triangular-shaped zipper that seamlessly fastens chairs, tents, robots and purses, making them simpler to pack and set up just with a press of a button.
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Continue Reading Category: Materials , Engineering Tags: MIT , Flexible , 3D Printing
Designnews
May 22, 17:15
CFD Analysis Shows Need for Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Aerodynamic Improvement
Breaking down the areas for improvement to boost the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's speed potential.
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Breaking down the areas for improvement to boost the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's speed potential.
Refractor
May 22, 12:26
A different kind of soda may actually lower your blood sugar levels
Intake of too little dietary fiber and too much added sugar is a major contributor to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. One major source of added sugar is traditional soda, which has long been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, fatty liver disease, tooth decay, and other health complications. Continue Reading Category: Diet & Nutrition , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: Diet , Glucose , Sugar , Obesity
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A different kind of soda may actually lower your blood sugar levels. One major source of added sugar is traditional soda, which has long been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, fatty liver disease, tooth decay, and other health complications.
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Continue Reading Category: Diet & Nutrition , Wellness and Healthy Living , Body and Mind Tags: Diet , Glucose , Sugar , Obesity
Designnews
May 21, 20:44
Subaru’s 2026 Solterra EV Touring XT Delivers Power, Range, & Mixed Ride Quality
Subaru’s 2026 Solterra EV Touring XT offers enhanced power, improved range, & advanced features, but struggles with ride comfort and driver alerts.
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Subaru’s 2026 Solterra EV Touring XT offers enhanced power, improved range, & advanced features, but struggles with ride comfort and driver alerts.
Designnews
May 21, 18:33
Humanoid Robots to Hit $15 Billion by 2035 Despite Adoption Barriers
Acceptance challenges dog humanoids, but an Interact Analysis forecast shows transformative growth beginning in 2032.
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Humanoid Robots to Hit $15 Billion by 2035 Despite Adoption Barriers. Acceptance challenges dog humanoids, but an Interact Analysis forecast shows transformative growth beginning in 2032.
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Acceptance challenges dog humanoids, but an Interact Analysis forecast shows transformative growth beginning in 2032.
Spectrum
May 21, 18:00
Developers: Get Your Medical Mobile App Verified By IEEE
Patients who use mobile applications to manage medical conditions including depression and chronic pain might assume the apps have been evaluated by regulatory agencies to be safe and effective. But that isn’t necessarily the case. Most of the more than 55,000 medical apps that claim to diagnose or treat a condition—or ones that provide clinical decision support, known as “therapeutic” apps—have never been assessed by any trusted neutral bodies or regulatory agencies to evaluate them for technical soundness, ethical design, or clinical benefit. The apps often don’t comply with regional data security and privacy laws to protect people’s sensitive health information. Medical apps differ from traditional wellness apps, which provide users with insights into becoming healthier by, for example, tracking fitness activities, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing sleep patterns. There is no reliable way to verify that therapeutic apps deliver the results they indicate. To help ensure such apps are credible, the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) recently launched the IEEE Global Medical Mobile App Assessment and Registry . The publicly searchable directory is designed to list apps that have been vetted by experts across several criteria including technical soundness, ethical design, compliance with data security and privacy regulations, and clinical efficacy, which is evidence of a clinical benefit for the patient. “Patients, clinicians, payers, and health care systems often struggle to distinguish clinically meaningful therapeutic apps from those that are simply well-marketed,” says IEEE Senior Member Yuri Quintana , chair of the assessment and registry program. He is chief of the clinical informatics division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , in Boston. “Our goal is to establish a standardized review method using criteria developed by experts.” Why regulation is lacking Because the apps are intended for medical use without being part of a medical implement, they fall under the designation of software as a medical device (SaMD), according to the International Medical Device Regulators Forum . SaMD is supposed to be regulated by public health agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , but the apps have developed and grown in popularity so quickly that regulators haven’t been able to keep up, Quintana says. Some companies have received approval, but most have not, he says. Many users are unaware of the regulatory gap, he says. “Seeing an app from a well-known company often creates the impression that it has been meaningfully vetted for safety and efficacy, even when that is not the case,” he says. Some companies are using deceptive advertising to sell their product, he adds. Marketing materials might claim that all of a company’s health apps are certified, even though only one app has been approved by a regulatory body to treat a particular condition. Or the verbiage might imply the company has clinical evidence proving its application works, even though the app has never been tested independently. Another concern is that updated apps aren’t being vetted, says Maria Palombini , IEEE SA’s director of health care and life sciences global practice lead. “The original app might have received approval from a regulatory agency, but not the updated version,” Palombini says. “There could have been significant changes from the original.” “Not every medical-related app triggers the same regulatory classification or review across jurisdictions,” Quintana adds. “That leaves a large gray zone of clinically relevant but lower-risk apps that haven’t undergone an independent assessment. The IEEE registry was created to help fill these gaps. “IEEE is the best organization to address this problem because this is fundamentally a standards, trust, interoperability, and conformity assessment challenge,” he says. IEEE “is the world’s largest technical professional organization, with deep expertise in developing globally recognized standards including in health care , cybersecurity , AI ethics , and interoperability .” “Through the IEEE Conformity Assessment Program , we already run rigorous assessment and registry programs,” Palombini says. “Our neutral, consensus-driven, multidisciplinary approach—bringing together clinicians, regulators, developers, and ethicists without commercial bias—makes IEEE uniquely positioned to create trustworthy global guardrails that can scale across jurisdictions and support regulatory harmonization.” How the registry works The assessment framework was developed by a multidisciplinary group of 35 volunteer experts from 10 countries, Quintana says. The panel includes academics, AI experts, app developers, clinicians, ethicists, mental health experts, patient advocates, regulators, researchers, technologists, and those who assess safety in health care. The registry is for any app used for clinical care or therapeutics that claims to demonstrate a medical benefit. That includes ap...
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Patients who use mobile applications to manage medical conditions including depression and chronic pain might assume the apps have been evaluated by regulatory agencies to be safe and effective. But that isn’t necessarily the case.
TL;DR:
To help ensure such apps are credible, the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) recently launched the IEEE Global Medical Mobile App Assessment and Registry .
Spectrum
May 21, 10:00
The Future of Physical AI Isn’t Smarter Robots, It’s Smarter Interfaces
This sponsored article is brought to you by Wetour Robotics . A field technician on a wind turbine, harness clipped, both hands on a wrench, needs to send a command to the diagnostic device hanging at her belt. A logistics worker on a loading dock, gloves on, eyes on the pallet, needs to redirect a connected lift. A person using an assistive mobility device on a crowded street wants to nudge it forward without taking out a phone or speaking aloud. None of these moments call for a smarter robot. They call for a smarter way to be heard by the machines that already exist. The industry has been building from one side The past three years of Physical AI have been a story of remarkable progress on the robot side of the loop. Companies like Boston Dynamics, Figure, and Unitree have advanced actuators, locomotion, and dexterity to a level that would have seemed implausible a decade ago. Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics has redefined what vision-language-action models can do in unstructured settings. The trajectory of the hardware and the foundation models is real, and it is accelerating. But there is another side to this loop, and it has been treated as a solved problem for too long. The interface between humans and machines has defaulted, for 40 years, to three input modalities: screens, buttons, and voice. Each of those assumes the user can stop, look down, and translate intent into structured commands. That assumption breaks the moment the work moves into a real environment. On a turbine. On a dock. On a sidewalk. In any setting where hands are occupied, eyes are committed, or speaking is impractical, the conventional interface stack quietly fails. Spatial Intent Fusion is the simultaneous processing of three streams of human-centered information, namely spatial position, visual context, and gestural intent: Your body is the interface. The bottleneck on the human side of the loop is becoming as important as the one on the machine side. And solving it requires a different question. Not how do we make the robot more capable, but how do we let the human participate in the computing system as naturally as the robot already does. Wetour Robotics’ bet: put the human back into the computing loop Wetour Robotics is betting that the next architectural leap in Physical AI is not about making the robot more capable. It is about making the human a first-class node in the computing network, with the same kind of low-latency, high-fidelity participation that connected devices already enjoy. Wetour Robotics’ engineers frame the problem this way: a wristband that recognizes a gesture is not enough. A camera that recognizes a scene is not enough. The information a human carries about what they are about to do is distributed across multiple channels, including where their body is in space, what their eyes are attending to, and what their muscles are preparing to do, and any single channel observed in isolation is ambiguous. Reconstructing intent reliably means fusing those channels at the operating system level, with latency low enough that the loop feels closed rather than mediated. This approach has a name. Wetour Robotics calls it Spatial Intent Fusion: the simultaneous processing of three streams of human-centered information, namely spatial position, visual context, and gestural intent, fused into a single real-time command for any connected physical device. It is the technical implementation behind a simpler positioning statement the company uses externally: your body is the interface. Orchestra is a portable intelligent hub running the operating system that handles sensor fusion, intent inference, command translation, and safety arbitration. The reference compute platform is NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super, which provides enough on-device inference capacity to keep the entire control loop at the edge, with no cloud dependency on the critical path. Wetour Robotics The architecture: three layers, four engines, one loop Orchestra is not a single device but a layered platform, designed from the start to be sensor-flexible and actuator-agnostic. The architecture decomposes into three perception layers and four coordination engines. Orchestra itself is the local compute and orchestration core: a portable intelligent hub running the operating system that handles sensor fusion, intent inference, command translation, and safety arbitration. The reference compute platform is NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super, which provides enough on-device inference capacity to keep the entire control loop at the edge, with no cloud dependency on the critical path. Edge inference is non-negotiable for this application. Full-chain latency from biosignal acquisition to actuator command is held under 100 milliseconds, the envelope inside which closed-loop control feels natural rather than laggy. VisionLink handles visual and spatial perception. Cameras feed into vision models that identify objects, estimate distances, and track environmental context. Vi...
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This sponsored article is brought to you by Wetour Robotics . The industry has been building from one side The past three years of Physical AI have been a story of remarkable progress on the robot side of the loop. Wetour Robotics’ engineers frame the problem this way: a wristband that recognizes a gesture is not enough.
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This sponsored article is brought to you by Wetour Robotics .
Events
May 21, 10:00
SEM-Guided Low-kV FIB Finishing for Leading-Edge Semiconductor Failure Analysis
Discover how the ZEISS Crossbeam 750 FIBSEM sets a new benchmark for precise TEM lamella prep, tomography, and advanced nanofabrication. This delivers better resolution, better SNR, larger usable FOV, and shorter acquisition times. Learn how uninterrupted FIB milling will reduce damage and rework, accelerate time to TEM, and increase first pass success—so your FA, yield, and materials teams make faster, confident data driven decisions. Join us to discover how the new ZEISS Crossbeam 750 with its see while you mill capability delivers precision and clarity—every time—for demanding FIB-SEM workflows. Designed for extremely challenging TEM lamella preparation, tomography, advanced nanofabrication, and APT‑ready lift‑out, Crossbeam 750 combines a new Gemini 4 SEM objective lens, a double deflector, and a next‑generation scan generator to elevate both image quality and process confidence. You’ll learn how better resolution and better SNR translate into more image detail and shorter acquisition times, while the low‑kV FIB performance enables more precise lamella prep. We’ll demonstrate High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mill + SEM—an interwoven SEM/FIB scanning mode that suppresses FIB‑generated background. This enables immediate, clean visual feedback, even during nudging the FIB pattern live while milling . The result: confident endpointing with uninterrupted FIB milling and pristine, metrology‑grade surfaces with the lowest possible sample damage. This session is ideal for semiconductor failure analysists, yield teams and materials scientists seeking faster time‑to‑TEM, higher first‑pass success, and consistent outcomes at low kV. See how Crossbeam 750 empowers you to make earlier stop‑milling decisions, cut rework, and reliably plan turnaround time—so you can move from sample to insight with confidence. Register now for this free webinar!
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Discover how the ZEISS Crossbeam 750 FIBSEM sets a new benchmark for precise TEM lamella prep, tomography, and advanced nanofabrication. This delivers better resolution, better SNR, larger usable FOV, and shorter acquisition times.
TL;DR:
Learn how uninterrupted FIB milling will reduce damage and rework, accelerate time to TEM, and increase first pass success—so your FA, yield, and materials teams make faster, confident data driven decisions.
Designnews
May 20, 23:14
GM Names Avnet 2025 Supplier of the Year for Creative Semiconductor Supply Chain Solutions
Avnet receives the award for innovative semiconductor supply chain resilience while responding to complex challenges.
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Avnet receives the award for innovative semiconductor supply chain resilience while responding to complex challenges.
Designnews
May 20, 22:10
AI: From Human-in-the-Loop to True Human Authority
For successful AI deployment, engineers must design operating models, accountability structures, and measurement systems that preserve human judgment.
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For successful AI deployment, engineers must design operating models, accountability structures, and measurement systems that preserve human judgment.
Designnews
May 20, 21:18
Taiwan-Based Battery Maker Says EVs Will Be Target For its Solid-State Batteries
Already mass producing cells, ProLogium is working on the latest version of its patented lithium-ceramic technology.
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Taiwan-Based Battery Maker Says EVs Will Be Target For its Solid-State Batteries. Already mass producing cells, ProLogium is working on the latest version of its patented lithium-ceramic technology.
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Already mass producing cells, ProLogium is working on the latest version of its patented lithium-ceramic technology.
Designnews
May 20, 21:15
Unsigned vs. Signed Binary Numbers, Part 4
From raw subtraction to sleight of hand: How two’s complement does the heavy lifting.
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From raw subtraction to sleight of hand: How two’s complement does the heavy lifting.
Designnews
May 20, 18:12
Rockwell Automation Expands Its EtherNet/IP In-Cabinet Solution
The motor control, connectivity, and diagnostic capabilities are enhanced to reduce installation complexity.
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Rockwell Automation Expands Its EtherNet/IP In-Cabinet Solution. The motor control, connectivity, and diagnostic capabilities are enhanced to reduce installation complexity.
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The motor control, connectivity, and diagnostic capabilities are enhanced to reduce installation complexity.
Designnews
May 20, 17:00
Electric Powertrains Demand High-Fidelity Testing Solutions
Engineers are adopting high-fidelity digital twins and hybrid HIL platforms to validate EV powertrains safely & efficiently.
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Engineers are adopting high-fidelity digital twins and hybrid HIL platforms to validate EV powertrains safely & efficiently.
Designnews
May 20, 15:13
AutomationDirect Expands Enclosure Portfolio with NEMA-1 Systems
The versatile enclosures from Saginaw NEMA-1 offer solar shields, sanitary designs, and enhanced structural accessories.
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The versatile enclosures from Saginaw NEMA-1 offer solar shields, sanitary designs, and enhanced structural accessories.
Spectrum
May 20, 11:00
Will Robotics Have a ChatGPT Moment?
Over the next few decades, billions of autonomous, AI-powered robots will work alongside people in factories, perform tedious tasks in warehouses, care for the elderly, assist in unsafe disaster areas , deliver packages and food to our doorsteps, and eventually help out in our homes. Some will look like us, and many won’t. What is certain is that regardless of form factor, robots will all rely heavily on AI in order to deliver real-world value. In 2025, total investments in robotics companies reached a record US $40.7 billion, accounting for 9 percent of all venture funding . The multibillion dollar question therefore is this: What will it take for AI-powered robots to begin to have a serious economic impact? Many of today’s robotics and AI companies are making bold claims, such as that humanoid robots will soon be coming into our homes , but there’s still a big gap between promise and reality. The promise of robots that live and work alongside us has been the stuff of science fiction for a very long time. And while many programmers have tried to make that promise a reality, the physical world is just too complicated for traditional computer programs to handle the endless complexity it presents. Thanks to AI, robots are no longer being programmed—instead, they learn to operate in the real world. With enough practice, they can learn to perceive and understand the world around them, reason about that world, and use that reason and understanding to perform tasks that are useful, reliable, and safe. The two of us have worked at the forefront of AI and robotics for the last decade, as a Professor in Robotics at Oregon State University and Co-Founder of Agility Robotics , and as former CEO of the Everyday Robots moonshot at Google X . Our experience deploying AI-powered robots in real-world settings has given us a perspective on where AI can be used to great benefit in complex robotic systems in the near term and where we are still on the frontier of science fiction. We believe AI will enable an inflection point in robotics advances, but that it will be through the well-engineered application of coordinated systems of different AI tools rather than a single ChatGPT-style breakthrough. As the excitement around AI is matched only by the uncertainty of what will be possible, here are five hard truths that will define AI in robotics. 1. The YouTube-to-Reality Gap Is Real For years, we have been seeing videos on YouTube with humanoid robots performing amazing moves on everything from a dance floor to an obstacle course. The inside knowledge in robotics is to “never trust a YouTube robot video.” The gap between real robots that can perform real work in unstructured human environments and carefully scripted and edited robot performances remains significant. The latest performance to get a lot of attention was a martial arts show featuring Unitree humanoid robots performing with children at the Chinese 2026 Spring Festival Gala. While impressive, this falls into a long lineage of tightly scripted robotic performances, where everything has been carefully choreographed and planned in advance. The low-level controls, synchronization, and choreography were stunning, yet the Spring Gala robot performance showed a level of autonomy and intelligence much closer to industrial robots building cars in a factory than something that will show up in your living room any time soon. Seeing these kinds of demos nevertheless raises questions about where robotics really is. If robots can perform kung fu moves and do backflips and dance, why aren’t they also showing up on factory floors yet? And why can’t they do the dishes in my home after dinner? The simple answer is this: Making AI-powered robots capable of performing general tasks in varied human environments is still really hard. While impressive technological feats like those at the Spring Festival may make it look like we could be very close, the use of AI in these demos is only for low-level motor control (to keep the robots from falling over) and therefore is only a small part of the solution for robots to be general purpose in the real, unstructured spaces where we humans live and work. 2. Data Is An Unsolved Challenge Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude were initially trained on an internet-scale database of text. The world woke up one day in late 2022 to ChatGPT demonstrating that AI computers could suddenly “speak” to us in prose or verse and about seemingly any topic. LLMs have turned out to generalize well and are now able to take multimodal input (text, images, video) and produce multimodal output. Importantly, the corpus of training data was both enormous and human-generated, which are characteristics that form the gold standard for AI training. The fastest path to robots as part of everyday life may emerge through a range of robot forms performing increasingly sophisticated applications and employing a range of AI tools. Agility Ro...
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Over the next few decades, billions of autonomous, AI-powered robots will work alongside people in factories, perform tedious tasks in warehouses, care for the elderly, assist in unsafe disaster areas , deliver packages and food to our doorsteps, and eventually help out in our homes. Some will look like us, and many won’t.
TL;DR:
The two of us have worked at the forefront of AI and robotics for the last decade, as a Professor in Robotics at Oregon State University and Co-Founder of Agility Robotics , and as former CEO of the Everyday Robots moonshot at Google X .
Engineering News-Record
May 20, 00:16
World's Longest Sea Bridge Completed Across Taiwan Strait
Engineers completed the 125km Taiwan Strait Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, using floating crane assembly of prestressed concrete segments.
TL;DR:
Engineers completed the 125km Taiwan Strait Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, using floating crane assembly of prestressed concrete segments.
Designnews
May 19, 23:32
Designing Efficient Heat-Transfer Systems for Next-Generation Industrial Equipment
Explore how efficient heat-transfer systems drive industrial equipment performance and sustainability. This guide covers heat-exchanger types for various industries and details critical factors influencing system efficiency.
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Designing Efficient Heat-Transfer Systems for Next-Generation Industrial Equipment. Explore how efficient heat-transfer systems drive industrial equipment performance and sustainability. This guide covers heat-exchanger types for various industries and details critical factors influencing system efficiency.
TL;DR:
Explore how efficient heat-transfer systems drive industrial equipment performance and sustainability.
Designnews
May 19, 23:03
What’s Behind Advances in Humanoid Robots?
Improvements in mechatronics, embedded processors, and artificial intelligence are enabling human-like robots to progress to pilot projects to augment human labor.
TL;DR:
Improvements in mechatronics, embedded processors, and artificial intelligence are enabling human-like robots to progress to pilot projects to augment human labor.
Designnews
May 19, 21:33
AI Tools for Engineers: Sentinel
Instead of manually reading millions of lines of code, engineers working on codebases can use AI agents to understand system architecture, trace dependencies, and identify issues automatically.
TL;DR:
Instead of manually reading millions of lines of code, engineers working on codebases can use AI agents to understand system architecture, trace dependencies, and identify issues automatically.
Designnews
May 19, 21:23
AI Tools for Engineers: Quals.ai
Quals.ai transforms how organizations understand people by replacing traditional research surveys and manual interviews with scalable AI-driven conversations.
TL;DR:
Quals.ai transforms how organizations understand people by replacing traditional research surveys and manual interviews with scalable AI-driven conversations.
Designnews
May 19, 21:07
AI Tools for Engineers: MCP Server
MCP integrates world-class domain intelligence directly into the workflows and tooling engineers build and maintain.
TL;DR:
MCP integrates world-class domain intelligence directly into the workflows and tooling engineers build and maintain.
Designnews
May 19, 16:57
Solid-State Batteries: The Battery Show Europe Plots the Path to Scale
Explore solid-state battery readiness, challenges, and Europe’s strategy for scaling this transformative EV technology.
TL;DR:
Explore solid-state battery readiness, challenges, and Europe’s strategy for scaling this transformative EV technology.
Designnews
May 19, 12:00
Will Carbon Emissions Put Constraints on AI Data Centers?
Environmental expert offers methodology to potentially measure emissions and suggests that regulations could be implemented.
TL;DR:
Environmental expert offers methodology to potentially measure emissions and suggests that regulations could be implemented.
Designnews
May 19, 02:24
AI Tools for Engineers: Accuris AI Assistant
Engineering Workbench already reduced manual engineering content workflows, and its new AI Assistant accelerates that shift further by enabling natural-language interaction with authoritative content.
TL;DR:
Engineering Workbench already reduced manual engineering content workflows, and its new AI Assistant accelerates that shift further by enabling natural-language interaction with authoritative content.
Designnews
May 19, 02:08
AI Tools for Engineers: Embedder
This tool helps engineers by expediting the most time-consuming parts of firmware work and generating code using a variety of source materials.
TL;DR:
This tool helps engineers by expediting the most time-consuming parts of firmware work and generating code using a variety of source materials.
Designnews
May 19, 01:50
AI Tools for Engineers: Cenevo
These AI agents supplement existing lab activities, replacing time-consuming, repetitive, inefficient, and error-prone manual processes.
TL;DR:
These AI agents supplement existing lab activities, replacing time-consuming, repetitive, inefficient, and error-prone manual processes.
Designnews
May 19, 01:29
AI Tools for Engineers: Seeq Intelligence
Seeq Intelligence replaces manual, fragmented processes and instead enhances and automates engineering workflows with advanced agentic AI capabilities, enabling experts to make faster, higher-quality decisions.
TL;DR:
Seeq Intelligence replaces manual, fragmented processes and instead enhances and automates engineering workflows with advanced agentic AI capabilities, enabling experts to make faster, higher-quality decisions.
Designnews
May 18, 20:55
Lexus Engineers Tackle Challenges of Hybrid and EV Design for ES Sedan
Engineers reveal how they balanced hybrid and EV powertrains in the Lexus ES, ensuring performance and comfort while embracing sustainability.
TL;DR:
Engineers reveal how they balanced hybrid and EV powertrains in the Lexus ES, ensuring performance and comfort while embracing sustainability.
Designnews
May 18, 20:28
Thermal Management & Safety Issues Under Scope at The Battery Show Europe
Technical sessions examine safety challenges and thermal management innovations that are critical to battery cells and stationary battery systems.
TL;DR:
Technical sessions examine safety challenges and thermal management innovations that are critical to battery cells and stationary battery systems.
Spectrum
May 18, 18:00
Manchester Code Made Bits Behave
In the late 1940s—when computer engineers were grappling with unreliable hardware and noisy transmission environments—a team of engineers inside a modest lab at the University of Manchester , England, confronted a problem so fundamental that it threatened the viability of digital computing itself. Machines could generate bits, but they could not reliably read them back. The inconsistent reading back of memory data did not initially present itself as a grand theoretical challenge. It showed up as something more mundane: inconsistent computing results. Engineers including Frederic C. Williams , Tom Kilburn , and G. E. (Tommy) Thomas traced the failures not to logic errors but to the physical behavior of the machines themselves. The team devised a technique for keeping a transmitter and a receiver synchronized without relying on a separate clock signal. Their innovation, known as Manchester code or phase encoding , encoded each bit with a transition in the middle of the bit period, effectively embedding timing information directly into the data stream to be a self-clocking signal. So, even if the signal degraded or the timing drifted slightly, the receiver could continually keep time based on those regular transitions. By eliminating the need for separate clocks and reducing synchronization errors, Manchester code made data transfer more robust across cables and circuits. Those qualities later made it a natural fit for technologies such as Ethernet and early data storage systems. Its self-clocking nature helped standardize how machines communicate, and it laid the groundwork for modern networking and digital communication protocols. On 13 April 2026, this breakthrough was honored with an IEEE Milestone plaque during a ceremony at the University of Manchester. Dignitaries from IEEE and the university attended the ceremony. Embedding timing in signals Those 1940s Manchester University engineers were working on systems that fed into the Manchester Mark I , one of the first practical stored-program machines. When troubles arose, they used oscilloscopes to probe signals. They found that electrical pulses did not arrive with consistent timing. Memory signals also blurred over time, making them harder to read, and when long runs of identical bits occurred, the waveform flattened into stretches with no transitions. That led to a crucial insight: The problem was not just detecting whether a signal was high or low; the system also lost track of when to sample the signal. Without reliable timing markers, even correctly formed signals were misread. Bits could effectively be lost or miscounted because the system fell out of sync. At first, the engineers tried to tame the hardware. They experimented with stabilizing circuits and more consistent pulse generation, attempting to impose a regular rhythm on an inherently unstable system. But the fixes proved fragile, and the electronics of the day could not maintain the required precision. So the Manchester group took a different approach. If the hardware could not provide a dependable clock, the signal itself would have to carry one. Instead of representing data as static levels, each bit changed state, with a guaranteed transition in the middle. Embedding timing in the signal reduced erratic behavior. Machines were suddenly able to reliably transmit, store, and read back data—an essential step toward practical stored-program computing. Making signals unmistakable The Manchester code addressed several issues at once. Regular transitions allowed continuous timing recovery. Transitions proved easier to detect than static levels, and long runs of identical bits no longer produced flat, ambiguous waveforms. Rather than fighting the imperfections of early electronics, the design worked with them. From lab curiosity to a global standard What began as a local solution in Manchester shaped digital communication systems for decades, including early Ethernet technology, for which timing and shared-medium communication were central challenges. According to Robert Metcalfe , a member of the team that built the first Ethernet system at Xerox PARC in 1973, he and his colleagues relied on Manchester code. “Manchester code solved a fundamental problem for us: timing,” Metcalfe says, explaining that each bit carried its own clock and removed the need for a global synchronized signal. That self-clocking property wasn’t the only benefit provided by the encoding scheme. On a shared coaxial cable , Manchester encoding did more than provide timing. Each transceiver left the medium undriven—effectively “off”—most of the time, allowing packets from other machines to pass without interference. Even during transmission, a station drove the signal only about half the time, leaving the line undriven during the other half of each bit cycle. This distinction—between a driven signal and an undriven line, rather than simple 1s and 0s—allowed receivers to recover both data and clock timing while also monito...
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Engineers including Frederic C. Dignitaries from IEEE and the university attended the ceremony. Embedding timing in signals Those 1940s Manchester University engineers were working on systems that fed into the Manchester Mark I , one of the first practical stored-program machines.
TL;DR:
Dignitaries from IEEE and the university attended the ceremony.
Spectrum
May 18, 13:00
What Makes a Job Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous?
For years, the field of robotics has used the terms “dull, dirty, and dangerous” (DDD) to describe the types of tasks or jobs where robots might be useful—by doing work that’s undesirable for people. A classic example of a DDD job is one of “repetitive physical labor on a steaming hot factory floor involving heavy machinery that threatens life and limb.” But determining which human activities fit into these categories is not as straightforward as it seems. What exactly is a “dull” task, and who makes that assumption? Is “dirty” work just about needing to wash your hands afterwards, or is there also an aspect of social stigma? What data can we rely on to classify jobs as “dangerous?” Our recent work (which was not dull at all) tackles these questions and proposes a framework to help roboticists understand the job context for our technology. First, we did an empirical analysis of robotics publications between 1980 and 2024 that mention DDD and found that only 2.7 percent define DDD and only 8.7 percent provide examples of tasks or jobs. The definitions vary, and many of the examples aren’t particularly specific (for example, “industrial manufacturing,” “home care”). Next, we reviewed the social science literature in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology to develop better definitions for “dull,” “dirty,” and “dangerous” work. Again, while it might seem intuitive which tasks to put into these buckets, it turns out that there are some underlying social, economic, and cultural factors that matter. Dangerous Work: Occupations or tasks that result in injury or risk of harm It’s possible to measure the danger of a task or job by using reported information. There are administrative records and surveys that provide numbers on occupational injury rates and hazardous risk factors. While that seems straightforward, it’s important to understand how this data was collected, reported, and verified. First, occupational injuries tend to be underreported, with some studies estimating up to 70 percent of cases missing in administrative databases . Second, injuries and risk factors are rarely disaggregated by characteristics like gender, migration status, formal/informal employment, and work activities . For example, because most personal protective equipment—such as masks, vests, and gloves—are sized for men, women in dangerous work environments face increased safety risks . These caveats are an opportunity for robotics to be helpful. If we went out and looked for it, we could probably find some less obviously dangerous work where robotics might be an important intervention, not to mention some groups that are disproportionately affected and would benefit from more workplace safety. Dirty Work: Occupations or tasks that are physically, socially, or morally tainted Colloquially, most people might think of dirty work as involving physical dirtiness, such as trash removal, cleaning, or dealing with hazardous substances. But social science literature makes clear that dirty work is also about stigma . Socially tainted jobs are often servile or involve interacting with stigmatized groups (for example, correctional officers), and morally tainted jobs include tasks that people commonly perceive as sinful, deceptive, or otherwise defying norms of civility (like a stripper or a collection agent). “Dirty work” is a social construct that can vary across time (like tattoo industry stigma in the United States) and culture (such as nursing in the U.S . versus in Bangladesh ). One way to measure whether work is “dirty” is by using the closely related concept of occupational prestige, captured through quantitative surveys where people rank jobs. Another way to measure it is through qualitative data, like ethnographies and interviews. Similar to “dangerous,” we see some hidden opportunities for robotics in “dirty” work. But one of our more interesting takeaways from the data is that a lower-ranked job can be something that the workers themselves enjoy or find immense pride and meaning in . If we care about what tasks are truly undesirable, understanding this worker perspective is important. Dull Work: Occupations or tasks that are repetitive and lacking in autonomy When it comes to defining dull work, what matters most is workers’ own experiences. Outsiders can make a lot of false assumptions about what tasks have value and meaning. Sometimes things that seem boring or routine create the right conditions for developing skills and competence , such as the concentration needed for woodworking, or for socializing and support , when tasks are done alongside others. Instead of assuming that repetitive work is negative, it’s important to examine qualitative data on how people experience the work and what purpose it serves for them . DDD: An actionable framework In our paper, we propose a framework to help the robotics community explore how automation impacts individual jobs. For each term—dull, dirty, and dangerous—t...
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For years, the field of robotics has used the terms “dull, dirty, and dangerous” (DDD) to describe the types of tasks or jobs where robots might be useful—by doing work that’s undesirable for people. A classic example of a DDD job is one of “repetitive physical labor on a steaming hot factory floor involving heavy machinery that threatens life and limb.
TL;DR:
For years, the field of robotics has used the terms “dull, dirty, and dangerous” (DDD) to describe the types of tasks or jobs where robots might be useful—by doing work that’s undesirable for people.
Events
May 18, 10:00
Agentic AI for Robot Teams
This presentation highlights recent efforts at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to advance agentic AI for collaborative robotic teams. It begins by framing the core challenges of enabling autonomy, coordination, and adaptability across heterogeneous systems, then introduces a scalable architecture designed to support agentic behaviors in multi-robot environments. The talk concludes with key challenges encountered and practical lessons learned from ongoing research and development. Key learnings Provides an introduction to LLM-based AI Agents Describes an approach to applying LLM-based AI Agents to robotic teams Provides demonstrations of the approach running in hardware with a heterogeneous team of robots Presents lessons learned and future work in this area Download this free whitepaper now!
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Agentic AI for Robot Teams. It begins by framing the core challenges of enabling autonomy, coordination, and adaptability across heterogeneous systems, then introduces a scalable architecture designed to support agentic behaviors in multi-robot environments.
TL;DR:
This presentation highlights recent efforts at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to advance agentic AI for collaborative robotic teams.
Spectrum
May 18, 10:00
How Melbourne’s AI and Data Center Flywheel Is Accelerating Research Innovation
This sponsored article is brought to you by Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) supported by Business Events Australia . Melbourne’s reputation as a global events city, from the Australian Open tennis and Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to hosting NFL regular season games, now intersects with a different form of scale: large-scale compute, data-intensive research, and advanced engineering. Long recognized for delivering complex international events, the city is applying the same organisational capability to the infrastructure that underpins modern AI research, positioning Melbourne at the convergence of global convening and high-performance digital systems. Consistently ranked among the world’s most livable cities, Melbourne was named Time Out’s Best City in the World in 2026 , the first Australian city to hold the title. Melbourne, Australia’s premier conference destination. Tourism Australia More materially for research and innovation, Melbourne is also the nation’s fastest‑growing capital , attracting increasing concentrations of engineering and technology talent, investment and international engagement. Australia’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem is entering a new phase, defined less by isolated initiatives and more by the convergence of compute infrastructure, research intensity and international collaboration. Melbourne sits at this intersection. Melbourne’s trajectory highlights what enables research at scale: access to frontier-grade compute, proximity to industry-ready infrastructure, and repeated opportunities for global research communities to convene. Sovereign AI compute, expanding hyperscale data center campuses and a growing pipeline of international research-led conferences are reshaping the city’s research landscape. Together, these elements position Melbourne as a focal point for applied AI research, advanced engineering and data-intensive science. The growing global influence of AI engineering, underscored by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang receiving the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor , reflects the scale of this shift. In Melbourne, these factors form a reinforcing research flywheel linking infrastructure, discovery and collaboration. Rather than focusing on startup density or short-term commercial output, Melbourne’s trajectory highlights what enables research at scale: access to frontier-grade compute, proximity to industry-ready infrastructure, and repeated opportunities for global research communities to convene. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang received the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor. IEEE Sovereign AI foundations The most recent cornerstone of Melbourne’s AI capability is MAVERIC (Monash AdVanced Environment for Research and Intelligent Computing), Australia’s largest university-based AI supercomputer. Built and deployed by Monash University in partnership with NVIDIA, Dell Technologies, and CDC Data Centres, MAVERIC has been engineered specifically for large scale AI and data intensive science, with medical research representing a key priority. Indeed, in these regards MAVERIC has been designed to function as a Next Generation Trusted Research Environment thus ensuring that it is state-of-the-art and provides a safe and secure framework for the analysis of large sensitive datasets. Designed to support research projects including cancer and neurodegenerative disease detection, clinical trial analysis and drug discovery through to materials science and engineering, MAVERIC enables Australian researchers to train and evaluate large models domestically while keeping highly sensitive datasets secure and under national jurisdiction. This sovereign design is particularly relevant in fields such as medical research where privacy, regulation or intellectual property constraints limit the use of offshore cloud resources. Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering with researchers [left to right] Professor Anton Peleg, Professor Victoria Mar, Professor James Whisstock, Vice-President (Strategy and Major Projects) Teresa Finlayson, and Professor Patrick Kwan. Eamon Gallagher (Australian Financial Review) Technically, the system reflects the latest shifts in high performance AI architecture. Built on NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 platforms and integrated using Dell’s rack scale infrastructure, MAVERIC employs closed loop liquid cooling to reduce water consumption compared with conventional air-cooled systems, aligning large scale compute growth with sustainability objectives while supporting high density, high throughput workloads. Professor James Whisstock , Deputy Dean Research of Monash’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences commented, “MAVERIC provides a huge leap forward in our compute capability that will revolutionize our researchers’ ability to address the most challenging and important research questions across the fields of medical research, information technology, and STEM disciplines. It will seed wonderful new cross-disciplinary collaborations, underpin the work o...
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How Melbourne’s AI and Data Center Flywheel Is Accelerating Research Innovation. Together, these elements position Melbourne as a focal point for applied AI research, advanced engineering and data-intensive science.
TL;DR:
IEEE Sovereign AI foundations The most recent cornerstone of Melbourne’s AI capability is MAVERIC (Monash AdVanced Environment for Research and Intelligent Computing), Australia’s largest university-based AI supercomputer.
Designnews
May 15, 22:46
Asynchronous Motors: Design & Function, Current Applications, Best Practices, & Future Innovations
Here we explore asynchronous motors (also known as AC induction motors), including the physics behind the motor, basic operational characteristics, comparison to other types of AC motors, and common application settings.
TL;DR:
Here we explore asynchronous motors (also known as AC induction motors), including the physics behind the motor, basic operational characteristics, comparison to other types of AC motors, and common application settings.
Designnews
May 15, 21:01
Automotive Cameras Evolve With MIPI A-PHY Standard
Automakers embrace MIPI A-PHY to simplify camera modules, reduce costs, and enhance thermal efficiency in ADAS systems.
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Automakers embrace MIPI A-PHY to simplify camera modules, reduce costs, and enhance thermal efficiency in ADAS systems.
Designnews
May 15, 19:29
LabVIEW & Macintosh Made a Good Team 40 Years Ago
NI introduced LabVIEW software in 1986, paving the way for modern test & measurement software.
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LabVIEW & Macintosh Made a Good Team 40 Years Ago. NI introduced LabVIEW software in 1986, paving the way for modern test & measurement software.
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NI introduced LabVIEW software in 1986, paving the way for modern test & measurement software.
Spectrum
May 15, 13:00
Striking New Views of the First Atomic Bomb Test
Editor’s note: If you’d like to pinpoint the instant when the world entered the nuclear age, 5:29:45 a.m. Mountain War Time on 16 July 1945, is an excellent choice. That was the moment when human beings first unleashed the power of the nucleus in an immense, blinding ball of fire above a gloomy stretch of desert in the Jornada del Muerto basin in New Mexico. Emily Seyl’s Trinity: An Illustrated History of the World’s First Atomic Test (The University of Chicago Press) offers hundreds of startlingly vivid photographs of the Manhattan Project that emerged from a 20-year restoration effort. This excerpt and the accompanying photos record the massive effort to capture the awesome detonation of “the Gadget.” aspect_ratio Reprinted with permission from Trinity: An Illustrated History of the World’s First Atomic Test by Emily Seyl with contributions by Alan B. Carr, published by The University of Chicago Press. © 2026 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. In the North 10,000 photography bunker, Berlyn Brixner was listening to the countdown on a loudspeaker, his head inside a turret loaded with cameras and film. He was one of the only people instructed to look toward the blast—through his welder’s glasses—ready to follow the path of the fireball as it launched into the sky. The two Mitchell movie cameras at his station would deliver the best footage to come of the Trinity test, used by Los Alamos scientists to make some of the first measurements of the effects of a nuclear explosion. Related: New Trinity Book Uncovers Images of the First Atomic Test When the detonators fired, the cameras captured what Brixner could not have seen—the very first light of a violent, silent sea of energy unfurling into the basin. As 32 blocks of high explosives erupted all together, their incredible force surged inward toward the sleeping plutonium core, compressing the dense sphere of metal instantaneously from all sides and bringing its atoms impossibly close together. A carefully timed burst of neutrons sowed momentary, uncontrolled chaos, and then, as quickly as it began, the fission chain reaction ended. Footage from a high-speed Fastax camera in Brixner’s bunker, shot through a thick glass porthole, shows a translucent orb bursting through the darkness less than a hundredth of a second after detonation, as a rush of heat, light, and matter blew apart the Gadget. When the brightness faded enough for witnesses to make out ground zero, they saw a wall of dust rise up around a brilliant, shape-shifting, multicolored ball of flames—forming a fiery cloud that shot into the sky atop a twisting stream of debris. The camera footage tells a story no less dramatic but hundreds of times more intricate, preserving the moment for scientists to return to again and again to measure and describe the behavior of the fireball and other visible effects with exacting detail. On balance, the photography effort was a huge success, despite only 11 of the 52 cameras producing satisfactory images. By arranging those cameras at intentionally staggered distances, complementary angles, and with a broad spectrum of frame rates and focal lengths, the Spectrographic and Photographic Measurements Group was able to piece together a remarkably complete picture of their subject. On 12 July 1945, Herbert Lehr, a U.S. Army sergeant and electrical engineer assigned to Los Alamos, delivered the plutonium core to the McDonald ranch house, where the bomb was assembled. Los Alamos National Laboratory According to the group’s leader, Julian Mack, the more than 100,000 frames that were captured still “give no idea of the brightness, or of time and space scales.” Mack attributed fortune, as much as foresight, to the photographic record that was made, especially during the earliest phase of the blast. Indeed, the explosion was several times more powerful than predicted, and the intensity of its effects overwhelmed many of the cameras and diagnostic instruments. The human observers were similarly overcome. “The shot was truly awe-inspiring,” said Norris Bradbury, the physicist who would succeed Robert Oppenheimer as director of Los Alamos. “Most experiences in life can be comprehended by prior experiences, but the atom bomb did not fit into any preconception possessed by anybody. The most startling feature was the intense light.” Norris Bradbury, the physicist responsible for the final assembly of the Gadget, stands next to the partially assembled bomb at the top of the shot tower. The cables on the outside of the bomb would transmit the signals to trigger the synchronized detonations of conventional explosives, which would then create the inward-directed shock wave that would compress the bomb’s plutonium core. Bradbury would go on to succeed Robert Oppenheimer as director of Los Alamos on 17 October 1945. Los Alamos National Laboratory It is a common sentiment that words and even pictures pale in comparison to the experience of the explosion. Even so, soldier...
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Striking New Views of the First Atomic Bomb Test. Carr, published by The University of Chicago Press. © 2026 by The University of Chicago.
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© 2026 by The University of Chicago.
Designnews
May 15, 02:34
Humanoid Robots Open a Future Where AI & Automation Merge
Humanoid robots have advanced beyond demos to autonomous real-world characters programmed to help.
TL;DR:
Humanoid robots have advanced beyond demos to autonomous real-world characters programmed to help.
Designnews
May 14, 21:15
Turning Text & Images into 3D Models in Minutes
Learn how Meshy is enabling AI-powered 3D model generation for both hobbyists and engineers.
TL;DR:
Learn how Meshy is enabling AI-powered 3D model generation for both hobbyists and engineers.
Designnews
May 14, 20:55
Lexus Takes on EV-Induced Motion Sickness With a New Drive Mode
The abrupt acceleration and deceleration of EVs exacerbates passengers' motion sickness, so Lexus aims to mitigate the effect.
TL;DR:
The abrupt acceleration and deceleration of EVs exacerbates passengers' motion sickness, so Lexus aims to mitigate the effect.
Spectrum
May 14, 18:00
IEEE Society Helps Researchers Meet Their Next Corporate Backer
The IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) ’s Research Collaboration Pitch Session initiative is proving to be a catalyst for meaningful engagement between academic researchers and industry innovators. Launched last year, the program connects promising researchers with industry leaders who can offer them funding, mentorship, and connections to bring interesting ideas closer to real-world deployment. Rather than relying on chance encounters at conferences, the pitch sessions create a focused environment. Five academic presenters share their work with five industry representatives, known as “innovation scouts”: senior leaders primarily chosen from ComSoc’s Corporate Program partner companies such as Ericsson , Intel , Keysight , and Nokia . The curated format ensures that each idea receives dedicated attention from professionals who are seeking new concepts aligned with their organization’s priorities. The initiative was launched in November at the IEEE Middle East Conference on Communications and Networking (MECOM) in Cairo and appeared in December at the IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM) in Taipei, Taiwan. AI-driven communication network One of the most compelling outcomes came from the inaugural session in Cairo. Angela Waithaka , a student member and biomedical engineering student at Kenyatta University , in Nairobi, Kenya, presented her “AI-Driven Predictive Communication Networks for Enhanced Performance in Resource-Constrained Environments” paper. You can view her presentation along with others on IEEE.tv . Waithaka’s research tackles a critical challenge: Next-generation communication systems increasingly rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning, yet most existing architectures consume abundant computational and energy resources, which are not always present in developing regions. Waithaka proposed lightweight, adaptive AI/machine learning models capable of delivering predictive, reliable communication performance even under tight resource constraints. Her vision resonated with Ruiqi “Richie” Liu , a master researcher at ZTE in China. ZTE is a global leader in integrated information and communication technology solutions. Liu says he recognized the relevance Waithaka’s proposal had to his company’s work with the International Telecommunication Union . He invited her to establish an ITU account so she could participate in the organization’s meetings discussing global telecommunications standardization projects—which would elevate her work to an international stage. Simplifying data center protocols The momentum continued at GLOBECOM. Among the presenters was Nirmala Shenoy , a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology , in New York. Shenoy, an IEEE member, spoke on the topic of simplifying data center network protocols . She highlighted the growing complexity of the critical networks, which underpin cloud services, enterprise IT, and emerging AI workloads. Shenoy’s focus on reducing protocol complexity while maintaining scalability, resilience, and low latency caught the attention of an innovation scout from Nokia , who heads its eXtended Reality Lab in Madrid. He found the key person at Nokia for Shenoy to connect with to discuss her research, and it led her to record a video for the company detailing her approach and its potential applications. A model for accelerating innovation The early success stories demonstrate the power of intentional, structured engagement. By bringing researchers and industry leaders together in a format designed for discovery, ComSoc is helping accelerate innovation and expand opportunities for collaboration. The pitch sessions are not merely conference events; they are becoming a bridge between academic creativity and industry implementation. This year sessions will be held during the IEEE International Conference on Communications in Glasgow from 24 to 28 May, and more are scheduled during the IEEE International Mediterranean Conference on Communications and Networking in Sardinia from 6 to 9 July, and at GLOBECOM in Macau from 7 to 11 December. As the program continues to grow, it could become a signature ComSoc initiative, one that strengthens the research ecosystem, supports emerging talent, and ensures that promising ideas find pathways to real-world impact.
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IEEE Society Helps Researchers Meet Their Next Corporate Backer. The IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) ’s Research Collaboration Pitch Session initiative is proving to be a catalyst for meaningful engagement between academic researchers and industry innovators. Shenoy, an IEEE member, spoke on the topic of simplifying data center network protocols .
TL;DR:
The IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) ’s Research Collaboration Pitch Session initiative is proving to be a catalyst for meaningful engagement between academic researchers and industry innovators.
Content
May 14, 10:00
Why RF Coexistence Testing Is Critical for Shared Spectrum
A comprehensive review of how spectrum congestion, dynamic sharing, and cognitive radio systems are reshaping RF coexistence testing for military and commercial applications. What Attendees will Learn Why spectrum congestion threatens wireless reliability — Explore how over 30 billion connected devices, more than 4,000 allocation changes worldwide, and the expansion from 11 to over 80 cellular bands are intensifying contention for finite RF spectrum resources. How real-world coexistence failures affect safety-critical systems — Understand the interference risks between 5G C band transmitters and aircraft radar altimeters, and between terrestrial L band networks and GPS receivers that were not designed for adjacent high-power signals. Why tiered spectrum sharing frameworks are essential — Examine how CBRS uses a cloud-based Spectrum Access System (SAS) and environmental sensing to dynamically protect incumbent Navy radar while enabling commercial cellular services across three priority tiers. What coexistence test architectures look like in practice — Learn how controlled environment testing with anechoic chambers, over-the-air signal generation, and standards such as ANSI C63.27 enable repeatable evaluation of RF device performance under real-world interference conditions. Download this free whitepaper now!
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A comprehensive review of how spectrum congestion, dynamic sharing, and cognitive radio systems are reshaping RF coexistence testing for military and commercial applications. What Attendees will Learn Why spectrum congestion threatens wireless reliability — Explore how over 30 billion connected devices, more than 4,000 allocation changes worldwide, and the expansion from 11 to…
TL;DR:
A comprehensive review of how spectrum congestion, dynamic sharing, and cognitive radio systems are reshaping RF coexistence testing for military and commercial applications.
Spectrum
May 14, 10:00
Accelerating Chipmaking Innovation for the Energy-Efficient AI Era
This sponsored article is brought to you by Applied Materials . At pivotal moments in history, progress has required more than individual brilliance. The most consequential breakthroughs — such as those achieved under the Human Genome Project — required a new operating paradigm: Concentrate the world’s best talent around a single mission, establish a common platform, share critical infrastructure, and collapse feedback loops. When stakes are high and timelines are compressed, sequential and siloed innovation simply cannot keep pace. Today’s AI era is creating an engineering race with similar demands. Every company is pushing to deliver higher-performance AI systems, faster. But performance is no longer defined by compute alone. AI workloads are increasingly dominated by the movement of data: In many cases, moving bits consumes as much — or more — energy than compute itself. As a result, reducing energy per bit can extend system‑level performance alongside gains in peak compute. The path to energy‑efficient AI therefore runs through system‑level engineering, spanning three tightly interconnected domains: Logic , where performance per watt depends on efficient transistor switching, low‑loss power, and signal delivery through dense wiring stacks. Memory , where surging bandwidth and capacity demands expose the memory wall, with processor capability advancing faster than memory access. Advanced packaging , where 3D integration, chiplet architectures, and high‑density interconnects bring compute and memory closer together — enabling system designs monolithic scaling can no longer sustain. These domains can no longer be optimized independently. Gains in logic efficiency stall without sufficient memory bandwidth. Advances in memory bandwidth fall short if packaging cannot deliver proximity within thermal and mechanical constraints. Packaging, in turn, is constrained by the precision of both front‑end device fabrication and back‑end integration processes. In the angstrom era, the hardest problems arise at the boundaries — between compute and memory in the package, front‑end and back‑end integration, and the tightly coupled process steps needed for precise 3D fabrication. And it is precisely this boundary‑driven complexity where the traditional innovation model breaks down. The Traditional R&D Workflow Is Too Slow for Angstrom‑Era AI For decades, the semiconductor industry’s R&D model has resembled a relay race. Capabilities are developed in one part of the ecosystem, handed off downstream through integration and manufacturing, evaluated by chip and system designers, and only then fed back for the next iteration. That model worked when progress was dominated by relatively modular steps that could be scaled independently and simply dropped into the manufacturing flow. But the AI timeline has upended these rules. At angstrom‑scale dimensions, the physics enforces inescapable coupling across the entire stack: materials choices shape integration schemes; integration defines design rules; design rules dictate power delivery; wiring sets thermal budgets; and thermals ultimately constrain packaging scaling. System architects simply cannot wait 10–15 years for each major semiconductor technology inflection to mature. Representing a roughly $5 billion investment, EPIC is the largest commitment to advanced semiconductor equipment R&D in U.S. history. A long‑term perspective is essential to align materials innovation with emerging device architectures — and to develop the tools and processes required to integrate both with manufacturable precision. At Applied Materials , together with our customers, we are charting a course across the next 3–4 generations, extending as far as 10 years down the roadmap. The angstrom era demands that we break down silos and bring together the industry’s best minds — from leading companies to leading academic institutions. If the problem is coupled, the solution must be coupled. If the timeline is compressed, the learning loop must be compressed. It’s not enough to just innovate — we must innovate how we innovate. EPIC: A Center and Platform for High‑Velocity Co‑Innovation This is the challenge that Applied Materials EPIC Center is designed to solve. Representing a roughly US $5 billion investment, EPIC is the largest commitment to advanced semiconductor equipment R&D in U.S. history. When it opens in 2026, it will deliver state‑of‑the‑art cleanroom capabilities built from the ground up to shorten the path from early‑stage research to full‑scale manufacturing. But the facilities are only one component of the model. EPIC is also a platform, an operating system for high-velocity co‑innovation that revolutionizes how ideas move from the lab to the fab. EPIC is a platform, an operating system for high-velocity co‑innovation that revolutionizes how ideas move from the lab to the fab. Applied Materials The EPIC model compresses the traditional workflow. Customer engineers work side‑by‑side with Appl...
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Accelerating Chipmaking Innovation for the Energy-Efficient AI Era. This sponsored article is brought to you by Applied Materials . Customer engineers work side‑by‑side with Appl...
TL;DR:
This sponsored article is brought to you by Applied Materials .
Designnews
May 14, 10:00
Emerson Expands Nigel AI Tool Across Software Suite
Company expects to evolve its AI tool for testing from an advisor role to eventually an agentic role.
TL;DR:
Company expects to evolve its AI tool for testing from an advisor role to eventually an agentic role.
Designnews
May 13, 21:03
The Productivity Myth: What AI Coding Assistants Actually Deliver for Firmware Engineers
AI tools can boost firmware development, but claims of 10x productivity are overhyped. Learn where these tools excel and where they fall short.
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The Productivity Myth: What AI Coding Assistants Actually Deliver for Firmware Engineers. AI tools can boost firmware development, but claims of 10x productivity are overhyped. Learn where these tools excel and where they fall short.
TL;DR:
AI tools can boost firmware development, but claims of 10x productivity are overhyped.
Designnews
May 13, 18:44
Walmart Expands EV Charging Network With ABB Fast Chargers Across US Stores
Walmart launches its own EV fast-charging network with ABB chargers, promising affordable rates and integration with its app.
TL;DR:
Walmart launches its own EV fast-charging network with ABB chargers, promising affordable rates and integration with its app.
Designnews
May 13, 16:11
PTC Onshape Integrates Altium to Enable Real-Time Cloud-Native ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
Onshape-Altium connector synchronizes PCB and mechanical designs in real time, eliminating manual file exchanges and version mismatches.
TL;DR:
Onshape-Altium connector synchronizes PCB and mechanical designs in real time, eliminating manual file exchanges and version mismatches.
Designnews
May 12, 20:54
AI & Automation Unlock Smarter NVH Testing with Fewer Engineers
Automation and AI are transforming noise, vibration, and harshness testing, enabling smaller teams to handle complex challenges with speed and precision.
TL;DR:
Automation and AI are transforming noise, vibration, and harshness testing, enabling smaller teams to handle complex challenges with speed and precision.
Spectrum
May 12, 18:00
IEEE Program Aims to Connect the Billions Who Are Still Offline
Given how integral the Internet has become to everyday tasks such as shopping, paying bills, and holding virtual meetings, it’s interesting that nearly 30 percent of the global population still has no access to it. More than 2 billion people are still offline, according to a report released in November by the International Telecommunication Union . More and more people are being connected, though, thanks to IEEE Future Networks ’ Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) and similar programs. Since 2021, the technical community has been working to accelerate the development, standardization, and deployment of 5G, 6G, and future generations. Every year, CTU holds a worldwide competition to seek out innovators who are in the early stages of developing technologies or applications to provide greater access. It also holds an annual summit that brings together experts, community leaders, and other interested parties to discuss strategies to expand access and foster digital inclusion. CTU expanded in several ways last year. It launched regional summits to focus on local connectivity issues, organized community-focused events, and established an expanded mentorship program to further support contest winners and the next generation of technological innovators impacting humanity. The program also partners with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) to develop guidelines for some of the submitted innovations. “IEEE Future Networks has created a community to bring all these initiatives working on digital connectivity together in a single platform and leverage the IEEE brand to help raise the visibility of their work,” says IEEE Life Fellow Sudhir Dixit, a CTU cochair and a Basic Internet Foundation cofounder, which also works to expand Internet access. A contest for new connectivity methods The CTU challenge, launched in 2021, typically receives 200 to 300 submissions each year, Dixit says. Last year 245 projects from 52 countries were submitted. Participants include academics, nonprofit organizations, startups, and students. Projects can be entered into one of three categories. The Technology Applications category is for new connectivity methods or innovations that broaden broadband access . Those who improve the affordability of Internet services can enter the Business Model category. The Community Enablement category is for strategies that promote public broadband adoption. After selecting a category, entrants choose between two tracks based on their project’s maturity. The proof-of-concept route is for early-stage but functional technology that has already produced results. The conceptual path is for projects in the theoretical phase that have not undergone full testing. “IEEE Future Networks has created a community to bring all these initiatives working on digital connectivity together in a single platform and leverage the IEEE brand to help raise the visibility of their work.” —Sudhir Dixit, Connecting the Unconnected cochair Last year’s challenge submission period was from March to June, with judging phases from June through November. The 20 winners presented their solutions in December at a virtual Winners Summit . Fourteen projects received prize money, ranging from US $500 to $2,500. Six finalists earned an honorable mention at the summit. The awards amounts have varied over the years, based on the sponsorship. Among the winners were a solar-powered community broadband network in Tanzania , a low-cost method for accessing the Internet that uses FM radio and a short message service (SMS) , and a strategy for utilizing India’s rural broadband infrastructure to deliver medical services to people living in isolated, tribal, and other underserved regions. “Our job is to help further develop the technology, look for gaps, and see if it is good enough to be applied to rural villages, like those in Africa and India,” says IEEE Fellow Ashutosh Dutta , who is a CTU cochair and a professor at Johns Hopkins University , in Baltimore. “The idea behind the contest is to make sure the technology actually gets implemented at the grassroots level and is being used by the local community.” This year’s challenge submission period runs until 19 June , with judging phases from July through October. The finalists of the 2025 IEEE Connect the Unconnected challenge describe their projects. IEEE Future Networks Local connectivity discussions The CTU program hosted three regional summits last year. The North American event was held in September in Washington, D.C. In November, the Global/Asia-Pacific meeting took place in Bangalore, India; it was co-located with the IEEE Future Networks World Forum . The Europe, Middle East, and Africa summit also was held in November, in Abuja, Nigeria. Topics discussed at the summits included infrastructure solutions for universal connectivity; sustainable business models; scaling homegrown technologies; and policy, regulation, and financing issues. As of press time, the dates for this year’s regional ...
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IEEE Program Aims to Connect the Billions Who Are Still Offline. The program also partners with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) to develop guidelines for some of the submitted innovations. The finalists of the 2025 IEEE Connect the Unconnected challenge describe their projects.
TL;DR:
The program also partners with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) to develop guidelines for some of the submitted innovations.
Spectrum
May 12, 17:15
Neutralizing the Gigascale Problem: How to Solve the Physical Power Paradox of Extreme AI Training Loads
This sponsored article is brought to you by Ampace . As AI workloads grow to gigascale levels, the global data center industry has hit a hidden physical wall. The real bottleneck is no longer just the thermal limit of the chip or the capacity of the cooling system — it is the dynamic resilience of the power chain. Modern AI computing clusters, driven by massive GPU clusters, generate high-frequency, abrupt, and synchronized spikey pulse loads. As rack densities soar beyond 100 kW, these fluctuations are amplified into a “power paradox”: while the digital logic of AI is moving faster than ever, the physical infrastructure supporting it remains tethered to legacy response capabilities. The power usage of these gigascale sites and their drastic, high frequency, abrupt load surges from the AI GPU clusters can trigger transient voltage events and frequency instability, risking the entire local grid. The grid itself is not robust enough to support these loads. This leads to the infrastructure gap: The utility is not robust enough and traditional backup sources, such as diesel generators and gas turbines, simply cannot react to millisecond-level power spikes in output. This will often force operators into a cycle of costly infrastructure over sizing just to buffer the volatility. AI infrastructure requires energy systems capable of instantaneous response while safeguarding continuity and reliability. The industry has explored various mitigations — from rack-level BBUs to 800V DC architectures — yet the mature, high volume, traditional UPS system remains the most viable and scalable foundation for gigawatt-level facilities. Consequently, the UPS-integrated battery system has emerged as the critical “physical buffer” to neutralize these pulses at the source. At Data Center World 2026 in Washington, D.C., Ampace led a pivotal technical dialogue with Eaton during the session “Powering Giga-scale AI.” Their exchange unveiled a fundamental paradigm shift: To bridge the AI power gap, energy storage must evolve from a passive insurance policy into an active, high-speed stabilizer. By aligning Ampace’s semi-solid-state battery innovation with Eaton’s proven system intelligence, we are moving beyond simple backup to solve the physical paradox of the AI era. To move beyond simple backup and solve the physical paradox of the AI era, Ampace is aligning its semi-solid-state battery innovation with Eaton’s proven system intelligence. Ampace The “Shock Absorber” physics: semi-solid chemistry for AI pulses Conventional power systems were designed for steady-state loads, not the rapid heartbeat of a massive AI GPU cluster. When thousands of GPUs synchronize their computing cycles, they generate high-frequency, abrupt pulse loads that can lead to voltage sags, frequency oscillations, and potential interruptions of critical AI training. Ampace’s PU Series semi-solid and low-electrolyte cells address this challenge by acting as high-speed “shock absorbers.” Leveraging ultra-low internal resistance (DCR) and high cycle capability, these batteries neutralize millisecond-level power spikes at the source, stabilizing the local power loop before disturbances propagate upstream to the grid or on-site generators. These high-rate cells enable 100 kW+ racks to maintain peak performance without transmitting instability across the power chain. This capability aligns closely with Eaton’s matured UPS architectures, such as double-conversion topologies and advanced power electronics upgrades, which have long prioritized rapid load responsiveness and high system stability. Together, these approaches embody a shared industry philosophy: AI infrastructure requires energy systems capable of instantaneous response while safeguarding continuity and reliability . Ampace’s semi-solid state chemistry minimizes liquid electrolyte, greatly reducing the risk of leakage and thermal runaway under continuous AI high-load conditions. Ampace Algorithmic intelligence: synchronizing energy and control Hardware alone cannot solve the AI power paradox; the system also requires intelligent coordination between energy storage and power management. Sophisticated battery management systems (BMS) like Ampace’s high-precision design track state-of-charge (SOC) with high-speed sampling, even during rapid, shallow cycling typical in AI workloads. Complementary algorithmic approaches in modern UPS platforms — such as ramp-rate control and average power management — effectively suppress sub-synchronous oscillations and optimize load smoothing. In large-scale AI training environments, where thousands of GPUs can trigger millisecond-level power pulses, these intelligent layers ensure that batteries buffer high-frequency fluctuations without compromising the mandatory emergency backup reserves. By transforming energy storage from passive “standby insurance” into active, schedulable assets, the system simultaneously safeguards continuous AI training and maintains the long-term he...
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Neutralizing the Gigascale Problem: How to Solve the Physical Power Paradox of Extreme AI Training Loads. This sponsored article is brought to you by Ampace . As AI workloads grow to gigascale levels, the global data center industry has hit a hidden physical wall.
TL;DR:
This sponsored article is brought to you by Ampace .
Content
May 11, 10:00
Why Mastering EVM Is Essential for Next-Generation Wireless Systems
A comprehensive guide to error vector magnitude (EVM), the primary metric for quantifying modulation accuracy in Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G NR systems. What Attendees will Learn What error vector magnitude is and how it is calculated — Understand EVM as the distance between ideal and measured constellation points, learn the difference between peak and RMS normalization, and see how EVM is expressed in both percentage and decibel formats. How digital modulation works and why it matters — Explore the fundamentals of ASK, FSK, PSK, APSK, and QAM modulation schemes, and understand why higher modulation orders increase throughput, while also demanding greater accuracy in signal transmission and reception. What causes degraded EVM in real-world systems — Examine the four main categories of EVM contributors: amplitude effects (compression, noise, frequency response), phase effects (phase noise), I/Q imperfections (gain imbalance, quadrature error), and configuration issues. How to diagnose modulation impairments using constellation diagrams — Learn how visual inspection of constellation diagrams can identify phase noise, amplifier compression, noise, in-band spurious signals, and I/Q modulator imperfections as root causes of degraded EVM. Download this free whitepaper now!
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Why Mastering EVM Is Essential for Next-Generation Wireless Systems. What Attendees will Learn What error vector magnitude is and how it is calculated — Understand EVM as the distance between ideal and measured constellation points, learn the difference between peak and RMS normalization, and see how EVM is expressed in both percentage and decibel formats.
TL;DR:
A comprehensive guide to error vector magnitude (EVM), the primary metric for quantifying modulation accuracy in Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G NR systems.
Spectrum
May 8, 18:00
Ana Inês Inácio Designs the Future of Wireless
When Ana Inês Inácio goes to work at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in The Hague, she thinks about signals most people never notice: radio waves moving between satellites , sensors , and future wireless networks. The integrated circuits the research scientist designs lay the foundation for next-generation RF sensor systems critical to advancing radar technologies. Ana Inês Inácio EMPLOYER Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO TITLE Scientist IEEE MEMBER GRADE Senior member ALMA MATER University of Aveiro, in Portugal Those invisible RF signals are only part of what earned the IEEE senior member her global recognition. Inácio recently received the IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Professional Award for “leadership in IEEE Young Professionals , fostering innovation and inclusivity, and pioneering advancements in RF sensor systems , bridging technical excellence with impactful community engagement.” The recognition from IEEE’s honor society reflects a career built along two parallel paths: advancing RF circuit design while helping engineers worldwide build professional communities. “I’ve always liked building things,” Inácio says. “Sometimes that means circuits; sometimes it means helping people connect and grow together.” That blend of technical innovation and global leadership gives her work impact far beyond the laboratory. EE lessons at the kitchen table Inácio grew up in Vales do Rio, a rural village near Covilhã in central Portugal. The region was known for farming and textiles, she says. Many residents worked in the textile industry, including her grandfather, who repaired machinery such as industrial looms. He became her first engineering teacher without ever holding the formal title. Through correspondence courses delivered by mail, he taught himself electrical systems. At home, he explained electricity to his granddaughter while he repaired the household’s appliances and wiring. “He would show me why something broke and how we could fix it,” she recalls. It sparked her curiosity. Her mother was a tailor who later managed other tailors. Her father left his factory job to attend culinary school and now cooks at an elder-care facility. Curiosity was a trait that ran through the family. By high school, Inácio was drawn equally to mathematics and physics and to biology and geology, she says. Encouragement from teachers and an uncle, an engineer, ultimately steered her toward electronics engineering. Conducting research on integrated circuits In 2008 she enrolled in an integrated master’s degree program in electrical and telecommunications engineering at the Universidade de Aveiro in Portugal, a five-year degree that combined undergraduate and graduate studies. An opportunity to study abroad changed her path. In 2012 she moved to the Netherlands to study at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) through a six-month European exchange program with UAveiro. A professor encouraged her to stay on, so she completed her final year of masters in the Netherlands. She focused on techniques to improve the linearization of RF power amplifiers at Thales . The company, based in Hengelo, Netherlands, designs and produces electronics for defense and security. She earned her master’s degree from UAveiro in 2013. After graduating, she joined the integrated circuit design group at the University of Twente , in The Netherlands, conducting collaborative research as part of a nationally funded program on linearization techniques for RF front-end systems. The experience introduced her to international research culture and persuaded her to pursue a career abroad, she says. Engineering the future of wireless Inácio joined TNO in 2018 as a junior scientist and innovator: her first professional industry job. Today she designs integrated RF front-end systems—the circuits that allow devices to transmit and receive wireless signals. The components sit at the core of modern communications, enabling sensor networks, satellite links , and emerging 6G technologies . Her work aims to tackle a central challenge: getting greater performance from smaller chips. “As communication evolves, we need more bandwidth to transfer more data at higher speeds,” she says. “The question is how much complexity you can integrate into one system while keeping it efficient.” Unlike commercial lab environments, which reuse established designs, research projects often start from scratch. Each transmit-receive chain—the signal path that converts digital data to radio waves and back again—is tailored to specific requirements. Her work focuses on improving key circuit characteristics including linearity (ensuring that the signals that go out of the antenna are not distorted) as well as noise reduction (so design blocks can be optimized). Advanced design techniques help devices communicate more reliably while consuming less energy, a critical need for large sensor networks such as the Internet of T...
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Ana Inês Inácio Designs the Future of Wireless. The integrated circuits the research scientist designs lay the foundation for next-generation RF sensor systems critical to advancing radar technologies.
TL;DR:
When Ana Inês Inácio goes to work at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in The Hague, she thinks about signals most people never notice: radio waves moving between satellites , sensors , and future wireless networks.
Spectrum
May 7, 13:00
Sardinia’s Ancient Reasons for Rejecting a Clean Energy Future
“Why are you here?” Fabrizio Pilo, an electrical engineer, asks me as we sit in an outdoor café near his home in Cagliari, an ancient city on the island of Sardinia. It’s a fair question. I’m a journalist from the United States. I’d just stepped off my flight 2 hours prior and come straight to this meeting, suitcase still stowed in my rental car. I’m here to see three intriguing new energy projects under development in Sardinia. I’d heard there’s strong public resistance to renewable energy, and I want to understand why that is. I tell Pilo, who is vice rector for innovation at the University of Cagliari, that I hope he’ll share some insights before I head out on a reporting trip across the island. (My answer seems to satisfy him, and he kindly gives me an hour of his time). This won’t be the first time that I’m asked to explain my presence on the island. I’d expected it, to some extent; I’m a foreign journalist poking around, after all. What I didn’t expect was the depth of Sardinians’ distrust, not just of journalists, but of any outsider, particularly ones with authority. Over the last few years, developers of wind and solar projects, most of whom aren’t from here, have been absorbing the bulk of this smoldering, communal wariness. Activists Maria Grazia Demontis [left] and Alberto Sala, photographed inside the archaeological monument Giants’ Tomb of Pascarédda, have worked to stop the construction of wind farms by organizing protests and taking legal actions through their organization Gallura Coordination. Luigi Avantaggiato In fact, the resistance is so widespread among Sardinians that over the course of two months in 2024, a grassroots petition to ban new wind and solar projects gathered over 210,000 certified signatures. That’s more than a quarter of Sardinia’s typical voter turnout and represents a cross-party consensus. People stood in long lines in public squares to sign. And it worked: Political leaders responded swiftly with an 18-month moratorium on renewable energy construction. “I’ve never seen so much engagement for anything” in Sardinia, says Elisa Sotgiu , a literary sociologist at the University of Oxford, who was born and raised on the island. “Sardinia has a bunch of problems like enormous unemployment. There’s lots of emigration because there are no jobs. It’s one of the poorest areas in Europe. The area is just decaying,” she says. “And yet the thing people are demonstrating against is renewable energy.” And the opposition continues: A network of mayors has mobilized for the cause. Thousands of people show up at organized protests. Activists vandalize grid equipment. Families are passing down these stories of resistance to their children as a point of pride. Local media outlets are egging it on, frequently publishing misinformation tinged with fearmongering. These aren’t just NIMBY complaints—not in the pejorative sense, at least. The resistance, and the distrust underlying it, is rooted in the island’s complex history, both recent and ancient. It’s based on a past that the Sardinian people carry with them—a past that has seeded a deep sense of suspicion and vulnerability. Resistance, I learn, is part of what it means to be Sardinian. Fabrizio Giulio Luca Pilo, vice rector of innovation at the University of Cagliari, has been working to help Sardinia transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Luigi Avantaggiato “It is a very sad situation,” Pilo tells me. “There are a lot of economic reasons to do the [energy] transition.” It could attract new companies such as data centers, which would create new jobs, he argues. It could reduce Sardinia’s reliance on imported gas and fuel, making the island more independent. New economic activity on the island might help reverse its population decline, he adds. And while what’s happening on Sardinia is unique, it also represents a larger trend: A growing number of communities around the world are opposing wind- and solar-farm construction, to the consternation of stakeholders. By 2025, nearly one-fourth of the counties in the United States had enacted some impediment to new utility-scale wind and solar energy—up from as few as 15 percent two years earlier, according to a USA Today analysis . In Africa, community pushback successfully canceled major projects such as the 60-megawatt Kinangop Wind Park in Kenya. In India, local pastoralists are challenging the 13-gigawatt Ladakh solar and wind project. And the European Union’s top-down push for renewable energy has created opposition in many communities. Their reasons vary—land-use preferences, generational ethos, government resentment, property values, economic effects, aesthetics—but all of these struggles have this in common: The resisters are passionate and they are often successful in blocking development. This is a looming problem for the energy transition. Unlike large, centralized coal and nuclear power plants, renewable energy is geographically spread out, so it touches far more communiti...
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Sardinia’s Ancient Reasons for Rejecting a Clean Energy Future. I’m here to see three intriguing new energy projects under development in Sardinia. Fabrizio Giulio Luca Pilo, vice rector of innovation at the University of Cagliari, has been working to help Sardinia transition to cleaner, more reliable energy.
TL;DR:
Fabrizio Giulio Luca Pilo, vice rector of innovation at the University of Cagliari, has been working to help Sardinia transition to cleaner, more reliable energy.
AIAA Journal
May 7, 00:16
Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Breaks Mach 20 Barrier
A new shock tunnel at Calspan University reached Mach 21.3, enabling hypersonic vehicle testing at realistic flight conditions.
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AIAA's new 30/30 Program honors 30 exceptional early-career aerospace professionals in their 30s who are redefining... AIAA is exhibiting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 — The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. Support the next generation of aerospace professionals through innovative educational programs and recognition.
TL;DR:
A new shock tunnel at Calspan University reached Mach 21.3, enabling hypersonic vehicle testing at realistic flight conditions.
Spectrum
May 6, 18:00
Learn What It Takes to Become a Cybersecurity Consultant
Cybersecurity consultants have never been more in demand. Information security analyst roles are projected to grow nearly 30 percent between now and 2034 , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . More than 15 million cybercrime incidents occurred worldwide in 2024, Statista reported. Data breaches are costly and pose direct safety risks. Statista reported that more than US $10 trillion is spent annually repairing the damage caused by cybercrime, most commonly phishing, spoofing, extortion, and data breaches. In one example in the United States, breathalyzer devices installed in vehicles became disabled, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded, as detailed in an IEEE Spectrum article . To help you acquire the skills you need to distinguish yourself from other cybersecurity job candidates, the IEEE Computer Society offers a “ What Makes a Great Cybersecurity Consultant ” guide. The 23-page PDF includes hard and soft skills you need, a list of certifications to pursue, and key IEEE cybersecurity conferences for staying updated on developments in the field. The guide includes advice from two cybersecurity experts. John D. Johnson , an IEEE senior member, is the founder and CEO of Aligned Security in Bettendorf, Iowa. Ricardo J. Rodriguez is an associate professor of computer science and systems engineering at the Universidad de Zaragoza , in Spain, who researches digital forensics and other cybersecurity topics. “Technology, remote work, and a shortage of skilled workers make this the ideal time to consider becoming a cybersecurity consultant,” Johnson says in the guide. “Consulting can give you the flexibility, variety, and control over where you want your career to go.” Hard and soft skills At a minimum, cybersecurity professionals should have a general understanding of IT including operating systems, communication protocols, network architecture, and programming languages such as C++, Java, and Python . They also should be well-versed in security auditing, firewall management, penetration testing, and encryption technologies. The principles of ethical hacking and coding would be handy as well. “To be able to defend a system well, you first have to know how to attack it,” Rodriguez says. The guide explains that there are now more technologies available to help cybersecurity consultants monitor threats and protect systems. They include security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platforms, which automate workflows to collect security data, streamline incident response, and automate repetitive tasks. Rodriguez points to advances in domain name system security extensions (DNSSEC), which uses digital signatures based on public-key cryptography to strengthen the authentication of the domain name system . By validating data authenticity, DNSSEC safeguards against attacks such as DNS spoofing and guarantees that users connect to the correct IP address. Technologies such as artificial intelligence , blockchain , and quantum computing will increasingly be used to help thwart cyberattacks, the guide suggests. AI is expected to enhance the quality of data analysis, Rodriguez says. Although hard skills are important, soft skills are just as crucial, according to the guide. Critical thinking, project management, flexibility, teamwork, and organizational and presentation skills are essential. It’s not enough to be good at analyzing security vulnerabilities; you also need to clearly describe the situation and explain possible solutions. “Soft skills are important to achieve good team cohesion,” Rodriguez says, “because consultants often lead diverse teams from within their client’s organization.” “It’s essential,” Johnson adds, “that you demonstrate to clients you’re a team player and a capable communicator, and that you meet your commitments.” Security certifications Possessing security-specific credentials is a valuable way to demonstrate your expertise to potential clients, according to the guide. Because hundreds of certifications are available, Johnson says, pinpointing the most relevant ones can be challenging. Some people focus on theoretical knowledge, while others want to cover practical applications of technology. “Survey the industry and compare it to your skills,” Johnson recommends. “Decide what you want to do, and identify where you have gaps in your skills and experience.” Here are four of the nine certifications listed in the guide that are frequently cited as being important. All the providers are cybersecurity organizations. Certified information security manager. This globally recognized certification from the ISACA is for professionals managing enterprise information security. Certified cloud security professional. Offered by ISC2 , this credential validates advanced technical skills in designing, managing, and securing cloud infrastructure. Certified ethical hacker. This certification from the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (C-Council) confirms proficiency in usin...
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Learn What It Takes to Become a Cybersecurity Consultant. To help you acquire the skills you need to distinguish yourself from other cybersecurity job candidates, the IEEE Computer Society offers a “ What Makes a Great Cybersecurity Consultant ” guide. Johnson , an IEEE senior member, is the founder and CEO of Aligned Security in Bettendorf, Iowa.
TL;DR:
Johnson , an IEEE senior member, is the founder and CEO of Aligned Security in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Content
May 6, 10:00
Ten Technology Enablers Shaping the Future of 6G Wireless
A guide to ten technological components — from THz communications and AI/ML to reconfigurable intelligent surfaces — poised to define 6G wireless networks. What Attendees will Learn Which frequencies 6G will use — Understand why THz bands (above 100 GHz) and the7–24 GHz range are under consideration, what challenges CMOS technology faces at sub-THz frequencies, and how new semiconductor approaches aim to close the output-power gap for future link budgets. How AI/ML and joint communications and sensing reshape the air interface — how auto encoder-based end-to-end learning can replace traditional signal-processing blocks, and how a single waveform may serve both data transmission and radar-like environmental sensing. What reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and photonics bring to the radio environment— Explore how programmable metamaterial panels can steer and shape electromagnetic waves, and how visible light communications and all-photonics networks extend capacity and lower latency. How ultra-massive MIMO, full-duplex, and new network topologies enable a true 3D“network of networks” — Understand how antenna arrays with vastly more elements, simultaneously transmit/receive on the same frequency, and non-terrestrial nodes converge to deliver ubiquitous, high-capacity 6G coverage. Download this free whitepaper now!
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Ten Technology Enablers Shaping the Future of 6G Wireless. A guide to ten technological components — from THz communications and AI/ML to reconfigurable intelligent surfaces — poised to define 6G wireless networks. Download this free whitepaper now!
TL;DR:
A guide to ten technological components — from THz communications and AI/ML to reconfigurable intelligent surfaces — poised to define 6G wireless networks.
Nature Materials
May 4, 00:16
Self-Healing Concrete Passes 10-Year Real-World Test
Bacteria-based self-healing concrete demonstrated full crack repair capability after a decade of field exposure.
TL;DR:
Bacteria-based self-healing concrete demonstrated full crack repair capability after a decade of field exposure.
ITER News
Apr 30, 00:16
World's First Fusion-Grade Reactor Vessel Completed
Fusion, the nuclear reaction that powers the Sun and the stars, is a promising long-term option for sustainable, non-carbon-emitting energy.
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Fusion, the nuclear reaction that powers the Sun and the stars, is a promising long-term option for sustainable, non-carbon-emitting energy. Harnessing fusion's power is the goal of ITER—designed as the key experimental step between today's fusion research machines and tomorrow's fusion power plants.
TL;DR:
Engineers completed fabrication of the ITER tokamak vacuum vessel, the largest stainless steel structure ever built.