Jaguar to offer only electric-powered cars from 2025

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced that Jaguar will stop building cars with internal combustion engines by 2025, shaking up its operations in the UK.  In November, the government brought forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030. It had previously set a 2035 target for the transition, which was … Read more

Hydrogen-powered show homes to open in Gateshead

The UK’s first homes with household appliances powered entirely by hydrogen will be built in Low Thornley, Gateshead, providing a demonstration of hydrogen-powered living.  The pair of show homes will contain 100 per cent hydrogen appliances including boilers, hobs, cookers, and fires. Unlike natural gas, which is responsible for over 30 per cent of the … Read more

How to grow crops in space

Plants grown in space could feed astronauts, but might new strains contribute to ending a food crisis here on Earth, too?  American commercial space services company Nanoracks has ambitious plans to operate orbital greenhouses where it would create mutant crops that could save the Earth from famine amid progressing climate change. The plan seems to … Read more

Facebook Messenger’s encryption plans labelled a ‘disaster’ for child safety

  Facebook’s plans to encrypt its messenger service will be a “disaster” for child safety and law enforcement, a senior National Crime Agency (NCA) director has said.  In 2019, Facebook confirmed it was forging ahead with plans to bring end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to its Messenger platform, despite calls from governments that it will make it easier for … Read more

Disadvantaged children face equipment hurdle to access online lessons, study finds

Online tuition can support disadvantaged pupils to learn remotely but access to equipment and reliable internet connections are key barriers to participation, a study has shown.  The pilot from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) was carried out to assess the effectiveness of supporting the learning of pupils from low-income backgrounds during and after partial school … Read more

People trust robots more than humans with money, global study reveals

A major global survey of consumers and business leaders has suggested there is a growing belief among consumers and business leaders that robots handle financial tasks better than humans.  According to the study by software infrastructure firm Oracle and personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi, 2020 appears to have changed our relationship with money, with people … Read more

Turkey sets sight on Moon with 10-year space programme

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unveiled an ambitious space programme for the country over the next decade, which includes developing satellite systems and sending a Turkish astronaut on a space mission.  The programme is ambitious in its timescale, with Erdogan aiming to establish “first contact with the Moon” in 2023 (‘The Moon Programme’), marking … Read more

RoboCafe in Dubai eases minds of Covid-wary customers

A café run by robots has opened to customers in one of Dubai’s most popular tourist destinations – ideal in a time where social distancing is still prevalent. It is located in Dubai Festival City, a large residential, business, and entertainment development. Customers can place their orders with German-made robots, who then prepare and deliver the … Read more

Silicon lidar chip brings accuracy at low cost to autonomous vehicles

A compact 3D lidar imaging system has been developed that its creators say can match the performance and accuracy of most advanced, mechanical systems currently used.  Lidar (light and radar) uses the precision of lasers to sense an environment by emitting them into the nearby environment and measuring the time taken for them to be … Read more

Facebook bans vaccine misinformation, provides Covid-19 jab advice

Facebook has said it will direct users on where and how to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as it also announces a ban on misleading information about vaccines in general.  The social network claims it has connected over two billion people from 189 countries to information about the disease through its ‘Covid-19 Information Center’ [sic]. Starting … Read more