Up to €2.3bn of annual tax from big tech may be missing from the UK’s coffers because of archaic rules. That’s according to TaxWatch, a think tank formed to expose abuses of the taxation system. In new research, the group analysed the finances of seven tech giants: Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, Cisco, and Google […]
UK lost €2.3B in tax from big tech because rules are ‘no longer fit for purpose’ Leer más »
Tired of endless traffic jams, hefty bills, and the weight of climate guilt, city dwellers across Europe are ditching their cars for cargo bikes — and never looking back. Here’s why I became one of them. Once the vehicle of choice for a select group of urban eco-geeks, cargo bikes are now rolling into the
I swapped my car for an electric cargo bike Leer más »
RISC-V, the upstart chip architecture, has stepped further into the market for processors. Semiconductor giant Qualcomm today announced that it’s building a RISC-V-based wearables platform for Wear OS, Google’s operating system for smartwatches. The system will expand Qualcomm’s lineup of Snapdragon Wear processors, which power the bulk of Wear OS products. According to Qualcomm, the
Google and Qualcomm are building a RISC-V-based platform for wearables Leer más »
While promoting fitness, community and often charitable causes, large running events can have a significant environmental impact. Adding to the waste generation from water stations and temporary race infrastructure are the carbon emissions from the transportation of participants and spectators. For major international marathons, this includes thousands of people flying in — often from all
London Marathon turns to carbon removals in race to net zero Leer más »
Germany’s federal anti-discrimination agency (FADA) said Wednesday it was quitting X, formerly known as Twitter, due to an “enormous rise” in hate speech. “Due to the enormous rise in anti-trans and queer rhetoric, racism, misogyny, and antisemitism, we no longer believe X is an acceptable environment for the profile of a public body,” said the
German anti-racism agency quits X amid Israel-Palestine disinformation wave Leer más »
Amid the debate over the dangers of widespread AI development, an important concern may have been overlooked: the huge amount of energy required to train these large language models. A new study published this week suggests that the AI industry could consume as much energy as a country like Argentina, Netherlands, or Sweden by 2027.
Google’s AI could soon consume as much electricity as Ireland, study finds Leer más »
A Croatian energy company has discovered an underwater lake of superheated water that could supply the country’s far north with clean geothermal electricity. The find was the result of a two-year study by state-run power company Bukotermal that sought to find suitable sites for the exploitation of the energy source, generated by heat from the
Croatia wants to turn this superhot underground lake into a 16MW geothermal power plant Leer más »
In a scientific first, researchers at theUniversity of Oxford have 3D printed stem cells that can mimic the architecture of the cerebral cortex, the human brain’s outer layer. The technique could potentially be used to treat brain injuries. Such injuries typically cause significant damage to the cerebral cortex, leading to movement, cognition, and communication challenges.
3D-printed stem cells could help treat brain injuries Leer más »
Today, France’s Eviden (part of cybersecurity, cloud, and high-performance computing group Atos) and German modular supercomputing company ParTec, announced they had won a contract to provide the very first exascale supercomputer in Europe. The JUPITER project will cost €500mn in total. The computer itself will cost €273mn and run on Arm architecture SiPearl Rhea processors and
German-French consortium to build EU’s first exascale supercomputer Leer más »
Meta is considering charging EU users €13 a month to access an ad-free version of Instagram or Facebook on their phones, the Wall Street Journal reports. The tech giant is also considering a €16 fee to use Instagram and Facebook without adverts on desktop. Accessing both apps on smartphones would cost about €19 a month
Meta proposes ad-free service for EU users — but you’ll have to pay for it Leer más »
Neustark, a spin-off from Switzerland’s ETH Zurich university, has inaugurated its first commercial-scale carbon capture plant in the EU, located at a construction waste recycling facility on the outskirts of Berlin. The plant, built in partnership with building and recycling company Heim, has the capacity to permanently store over 1,000 tons of CO₂ per year
Swiss startup opens plant that permanently stores CO2 in waste concrete Leer más »
The decision to permit TikTok in Europe is “insane,” according to Professor Scott Galloway of New York University. At an event in Helsinki last week, Galloway described TikTok as probably “the most ascendant technology company in history” — and “a national defence threat.” The professor’s concerns stem from two key factors: TikTok’s alleged links to
It’s ‘insane’ to let TikTok operate in Europe, NYU professor warns Leer más »
