28Oct/22

McCain Foods Enters the Metaverse with Regen Fries

McCain Foods (“McCain”), the world’s largest manufacturer of prepared potato products, is entering the Metaverse and introducing new Regen Fries as part of the #SaveOurSoil initiative. Regen Fries are made with potatoes that are grown using regenerative farming methods which build soil health, improve biodiversity, and enhance on-farm resilience to climate change. Continue reading

27Oct/22

Pegasus: invasive spyware or national security?

By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist

I’m Samuel Woodhams, a digital rights researcher and journalist based in London.

The saga of the NSO Group’s invasive Pegasus spyware continues, with yet another victim confirmed this month by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and digital rights group, R3D. The organisations said Mexican opposition politician Augustín Basave Alanís was targeted in September 2021, making him the fourth person allegedly hacked during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency. Continue reading

27Oct/22

The whole world is facing a debt crisis – but richer countries can afford to stop it

Patrick E. Shea, University of Glasgow

Countries across the world are drifting towards a debt crisis. Economic slowdowns and rising inflation have increased demands on spending, making it almost impossible for many governments to pay back the money they owe.

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27Oct/22

Drivn: Blockchain Startup Enables Users to Earn an Income While Saving the Planet

Transport accounts for around 33% of global carbon emissions, but 48% of people are not aware of their individual carbon footprint. Drivn, the brainchild of three Danish founders, aims to change the world’s travel behavior towards a more sustainable future. Continue reading

27Oct/22

IDTechEx Asks if Thin Film PV Is an Answer to Today’s Energy Threats

Thin film photovoltaics (PV) currently comprises a relatively small proportion of the total photovoltaics market yet offers extensive opportunities for applying solar power in new applications. The simplicity in design, the ease of manufacturing, and the cost-competitiveness with conventional silicon photovoltaics make it exceptionally well-suited to both high-volume manufacturing and regional manufacturing. The variety of thin film PV technologies, including perovskite, dye-sensitized, organic, cadmium telluride, and copper indium gallium selenide, and their potential for a wide selection of promising applications is assessed in IDTechEx’s latest report, “Thin Film Photovoltaics 2023-2033”. Continue reading

26Oct/22

CLAIRE’S LAUNCHES SHIMMERVILLE, AN IMMERSIVE DIGITAL WORLD, ON ROBLOX

Today, Claire’s Stores, Inc. debuts ShimmerVille, a transformative digital world to explore, work, play, shop and connect with friends. ShimmerVille is a completely original franchise which channels the influence of global online platform Roblox for immersive shared experiences and harnesses Claire’s purpose of empowering self-expression and personal style. With endless possibilities for engagement, Claire’s invites Gen ‘Zalpha’ into a virtual community space within the Metaverse. Continue reading

26Oct/22

IDTechEx Explore Key 5G Trends to Watch Out for From 2023 Onwards

5G commercial/pre-commercial services by frequency (2022)

Where does 5G stand three years after its first commercialization in 2019? Let’s start with the frequency band. The sub-6 GHz (3.5 – 7 GHz) and millimeter wave (mmWave, >24 GHz) bands are the two new bands among the spectrum covered in 5G. Despite the hype surrounding mmWave, according to IDTechEx’s “5G Market 2023-2033: Technology, Trends, Forecasts, Players” report, 53% of 5G commercial/pre-commercial services are actually based on sub-6 GHz, with mmWave accounting only for less than 10% of the market. The sub-6 GHz band is a popular choice because it finds a balance between providing excellent data throughput and being reasonably priced. mmWave, on the other hand, would be too expensive to implement on a broad scale due to the nature of short signal transmission and non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) issues (more base stations are required!). Continue reading

26Oct/22

ZEISS Microscopy Launches New Interactive Microsite

ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions announced its new microsite featuring nine researchers and 24 areas of study, to celebrate the amazing breakthroughs these scientists are achieving with ZEISS instruments. This virtual component is the at-home extension of their new interactive touchscreen experience recently debuted at ZEISS tradeshows. The microsite’s web interface allows for an intuitive interaction to explore microscopic discoveries and will grow with more research breakthroughs to come. The microsite will allow the user to see some of what is featured during microscopy events. Continue reading

26Oct/22

Four scenarios for a world in disorder

David Bach, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent speech to the Communist Party Congress could be one of the most consequential of the decade. He told the audience – and the world – that his economic growth-crushing zero-COVID policy is here to stay, and that Beijing is more determined than ever to reunify with Taiwan, peacefully if possible and by force if necessary.

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