ENGGtalks Newsroom

31 Oct 23

Could Direct Lithium Extraction Be a Game-Changer?

Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

High in the Andes mountains where the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile intersect, white expanses of salt stretch for hundreds of kilometers. Under these flats lie reservoirs of water that contain about three-quarters of the world’s lithium.For decades, producers have extracted that lithium by pumping the water up to…

31 Oct 23

Cultivated meat is a ‘promising’ space food for astronauts, ESA says

Computer & Information Technology

Development of cultivated meat, i.e. actual animal meat that’s grown in bioreactors from stem cells, has been gaining traction in recent years. That’s because it can provide a more sustainable and ethical alternative that doesn’t only mitigate animal slaughter, but also uses far less natural resources than traditional livestock farming.…

31 Oct 23

Meta begrudgingly launches €9.99 ad-free subscription for Facebook and Instagram

Computer & Information Technology

The effects of the EU’s regulatory crusade on Big Tech are beginning to make themselves known to consumers. Yesterday, Meta launched ad-free subscription services for Facebook and Instagram within the bloc. Users will be able to pay from €9.99 to use the social media platforms without seeing ads — or…

31 Oct 23

Secure your Mac like a rockstar — 5 easy life hacks to stay safe online

Computer & Information Technology

Yes, hackers and cybersecurity professionals are still engaged in a constant game of cat and mouse to exploit and fix loopholes, but the world around this has altered substantially. These days 80% of Mac users say they’re informed about cyber threats, a far cry from the old days. Yet, while…

31 Oct 23

What You Need to Know About Biden’s Sweeping AI Order

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

The world has been waiting for the United States to get its act together on regulating artificial intelligence—particularly since it’s home to many of the powerful companies pushing at the boundaries of what’s acceptable. Today, U.S. president Joe Biden issued an executive order on AI that many experts say is…

30 Oct 23

EU backs new project that combines solar power with agriculture

Computer & Information Technology

A new “agrivoltaics” initiative looking to prove the commercial viability of integrating solar power plants with agriculture has won the favour of Brussels. The EU is backing German renewable energy company BayWa, in a first-of-its-kind scheme that could be a win-win for farmers and the climate. In order to develop…

30 Oct 23

Researchers Simplify Switching for Quantum Electronics

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Metallurgy & Material Science

A quantum cousin of the Hall effect could open the door to energy-efficient electronics, better sensors, and more-powerful quantum computers. Researchers have now broken a key barrier to its practical application by controlling the phenomenon electrically, rather than magnetically, for the first time. The Hall effect, discovered by physicist Edwin…

30 Oct 23

UK police urged to double down on facial recognition

Computer & Information Technology

In a controversial move, UK police is being encouraged to double its use of retrospective facial recognition to track down known offenders. Specifically, in a letter to force chiefs, policing minister Chris Philp said that using the AI-enabled technology would allow for over 200,000 searches of images against the Police…

30 Oct 23

A Dual-CPU Computer You Can Rewire With Software

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

When the home computer revolution arrived, it filled my childhood with fascination and inspired me to study computer engineering. I wanted to design a microcomputer to my own specifications. But at school I was never taught how a complete computer system was put together. Instead we studied various subsystems and…

30 Oct 23

Nanotech Chips Could Solve Hydrogen’s Iridium Roadblock

Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Hydrogen gas generated using renewable energy is a promising source of clean fuel. One of the most common existing technologies for electrolysis—the process of generating hydrogen gas from water using electricity—is proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. Governments and organizations like the International Renewable Energy Agency are pushing for initiatives to…