AirTags are as dangerous as the society that surrounds them

Apple has released another category-defining product — but not in the way it would’ve wanted. AirTags, the company’s cheap and cheerful tracking devices, have become the category’s foremost technology, yet their misuse has embroiled the company in scandal. A gamut of reports have linked AirTags to stalking and theft, with one of the most prominent being the story of model Brooke Snader, who had one of the devices slipped into her coat pocket at a bar. While Apple has come under fire for the rele

Can we get sweat sensors in our fitness wearables already?

Sweat is a biological fluid — like blood, saliva and urine — that contains metabolites, electrolytes, proteins and hormones. The levels of these vary depending on a person’s health. Wearable sweat sensors have been developed to track users’ health condition and monitor the levels of these substances (known as analytes) in sweat. Lactate is considered an important biomarker thanks to its involvement in anaerobic metabolism. The undesired accumulation of lactate in muscles can result in fatigue, s

How my company used social media to increase traffic and revenue  — for free

You know who loves to give advice? Everyone. Especially when it comes to marketing. But what do you do when that advice requires a budget—a budget you don’t have? What happens then? I’m the founder of a small sustainable, socially responsible, and zero-waste fashion label that works with a community of women single parents in North Macedonia. Operating from a country with such limited resources can be, to put it mildly, challenging. I founded the company back in 2013. It started as a marketplace

How a fraudulent MP and a brilliant scientist created LCDs for flat-screens

In a laboratory at the University of Hull 50 years ago, a new chemical compound was created that would impact the world as much as any drug, fuel or material. The man responsible for this society-changing invention was George Gray – his new liquid crystal molecules (now known as 5CB) made liquid crystal displays (LCDs) viable and kickstarted the multibillion-dollar flat-screen industry. Professor George Gray. Image: Hull History Centre, Author provided The story begins back in 1967 when John Sto

Here’s how algorithms are made

As software and algorithms become an increasingly pervasive part of our lives, there’s growing interest and concern on how they are affecting society, the economy, and politics. Yet, most social studies of algorithms perceive them as obscure black boxes that function autonomously. This isolated look at algorithms, which separates them from their human elements leads us to the wrong understanding and conclusions. The Constitution of Algorithms, a book by Florian Jaton, Postdoctoral Researcher at

Milan to create 750-kilometer network of cycle paths

This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. Milan is set to create 750 kilometers of dedicated cycle paths by 2035 as part of plans to cut pollution and boost sustainable travel. The Cambio plan — adopted in November last

A beginner’s guide to joining a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. The 2022 Super Bowl featured a parade of commercials for companies in the crypto industry. While the majority advertised exchange platforms, one slot was reserved for a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). DAOs are community-led organizations that share common goals, from making profitable investments to building impactful products. Instead of leaders

Oi, developers! ‘Best practices’ can turn you into complacent a-holes

Have you ever baked cookies and wondered why the recipe is exactly that way and no other? If you changed this ingredient up or that temperature, would it make the cookies even better? I certainly have had these thoughts. It’s the reason why most of the things I bake aren’t very edible… When it comes to programming, these thoughts arise too. What if I wrote this part as a separate function? If I hard-coded this bit over there, would it make the code easier? Can I rewrite those ten ugly lines into

Should bike helmets be compulsory?

I came across PedalMe cargo bike company last year, and was impressed. It provides a last-mile cargo and passenger ebike service. All of its riders are employed full-time, with pre-scheduled shifts and hourly pay (instead of the per-delivery income in the gig economy model).  Sounds pretty good, hey? But there’s a quirk — their riders are not allowed to wear bike helmets. Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: Pedal Me According to the company’s latest newsletter:  We

Nuclear fusion is coming — and we should be jumping with glee

There’s been tremendous excitement about recent results from the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in the UK, hinting that the dream of nuclear fusion power is inching closer to reality. We know that fusion works – it is the process that powers the Sun, providing heat and light to the Earth. But for decades it has proved difficult to make the transition from scientific laboratory experiments to sustained power production. The fundamental aim of fusion is to bring atomic nuclei merging together


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