The European Space Agency’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, definitely won’t launch until at least 2024, the agency’s director general confirmed this week. Ariane 6 was first scheduled to launch four years ago. However, the rocket has suffered a series of delays, attributed to technical issues, COVID-19, and design changes. The ESA said the most […]
Europe’s SpaceX competitor pushes rocket launch back to 2024 Leer más »
In a pivot toward Europe, Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC decided yesterday to invest in a €10bn chip factory in Germany. With Taiwan under mounting pressure from Beijing to submit to mainland China authority, politicians — and customers — are increasingly concerned about disruptions to semiconductor supply chains. As such, the Taiwanese producer is looking to geographically diversify
TSMC to enter ‘Silicon Saxony’ with €10B chip plant Leer más »
In recent weeks devastating wildfires have swept across Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, causing several fatalities, the displacement of thousands of people, and widespread damage to infrastructure. More than 260,000 hectares of land across the EU has already burnt since January — an area the size of Luxembourg. Many fires are still raging across swathes
ESA satellites capture the extent of Europe’s wildfires Leer más »
Scientists are edging closer to a fusion energy system that doesn’t rely on magnetic field-based tokamak reactors or twisty stellarators. German startup Marvel Fusion has teamed up with Colorado State University to build the world’s first facility dedicated to commercialising inertial confinement — a type of fusion reaction produced by slamming atoms together many times
Germany’s Marvel Fusion to build $150M laser facility in US Leer más »
Developers across the world are mourning the loss of Bram Moolenaar, renowned Dutch software engineer and creator of the Vim text editor. Moolenaar passed away on August 3, 2023, after suffering from a medical condition that “rapidly progressed over the last few weeks,” according to a statement shared by his family on the Vim-announce Google
Dev world mourns loss of Vim creator Bram Moolenaar Leer más »
As demand for industrial robots surges, new research suggests the rewards are slow to materialise. According to the Cambridge University study, robots typically cause early losses before they can yield a payoff. The researchers analysed industry data across 25 EU countries between 1996 and 2017. They found that when adoption levels are low, robots can have a
Adopting robots makes profits drop before they rise, study finds Leer más »
As the International Space Station approaches retirement, a transatlantic team is creating a replacement: Starlab. Airbus and US startup Voyager this week announced a joint venture for the project. The two companies will develop, build, and operate Starlab, which aims to further unite the US and Europe in space. “This pioneers continued European and American
Airbus joins transatlantic mission to build ISS replacement Leer más »
British chip maker Arm is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) at a valuation of between $60bn and $70bn as early as September, amid surging demand for semiconductors for cloud computing, AI, and EV applications. The roadshow is scheduled to start the first week of September with pricing for the IPO the following week, Bloomberg
UK chipmaker Arm targets $60B-plus valuation for September IPO Leer más »
Google DeepMind has a new AI model that can direct robotic tasks it was never trained to perform. Named RT-2, the model learns from web and robotics data. It then turns this information into simple instructions for machines. In tests, the model was asked to take actions never seen in the robotic data, such as
New DeepMind AI model can control robotic actions it was never trained to do Leer más »
Europe’s new space telescope Euclid has returned its first sparkling images of deep space, in a “tantalising glimpse” of what is to come. The images are not only mesmerising, but they also show that all the telescope’s instruments are running smoothly. This must come as a major relief to scientists at the European Space Agency,
Europe’s ‘dark universe’ telescope returns first images of deep space Leer más »
Whether it’s excitement, confusion, apprehension, or outright pessimism, everyone feels something about AI. So it was no surprise that AI technology was one of the main talking points at The Next Web Conference 2023. In the wake of the EU Parliament’s decision to usher in the EU AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law
Can we regulate AI without stifling innovation? Here’s what experts think Leer más »
Remote communities off the Scottish coast are now the first people in the UK to have their mail delivered by drone. Royal Mail and London-based Skyports Drone Services launched the project to make it easier for residents of Orkney, located off the north coast of Scotland, to receive their mail without delays. The drones will
UK’s first drone delivery service launches in remote Scottish islands Leer más »
