From The Next Web

  • 3 carbon capture technologies you’ve probably never heard of

    We will all face the consequences of runaway climate change. Unless, maybe, you live in one of Elon Musk’s new homes on Mars. But for the rest of us poor souls, tackling global heating is pretty much the top priority. The bad news is that we are not on track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. A new report has also revealed that temperatures in Europe are rising twice as fast as the rest of the world. We need to make drastic cuts in emissions. We also need to pull out some of the carbon...

  • Brits to issue their own sick notes via algorithm under plan to save GP time

    In an attempt to reduce the workload of GPs, the UK is planning to introduce a new National Health Service (NHS) algorithm that will enable self-issued sick notes. The move is part of the government’s effort to reform the sick note system, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seeking not only to alleviate GPs, but also end the “sick note culture.” “We need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do -- not what you can’t,” Sunak said during a speech last week. ...

  • Earth Day: Ecosia launches world’s first energy-generating browser

    Today — on Earth Day — non-profit search engine Ecosia has launched the “greenest browser on Earth” as it seeks to offer customers a more sustainable alternative to Google Chrome or Apple’s Safari. Just like Ecosia’s search engine, the more you use the browser, the more trees you will help plant. The Berlin-based company says it has already planted 200 million trees since 2009. The new browser will be powered by renewable energy from Ecosia’s own solar farms. In fact, the company says...

  • How OpenAI and Microsoft reawakened a sleeping software giant

    Just a decade ago, the world's biggest tech beast was a relative minnow. Microsoft had become notorious for disappointing product launches, stagnant innovation, and losing top talent. The first true software giant was becoming a big tech dinosaur. Fast forward to 2024 and Microsoft is the planet's most valuable business. Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, stock has soared by over 1,000% in 10 years. In January, the company reached a $3 trillion market cap — larger than the whole GDP...

  • UK mulls fresh controls on 'sensitive tech' after China cyber attack claim

    Britain is exploring new curbs on China's access to "sensitive technologies" following allegations of cyber espionage. Oliver Dowden, the UK's deputy prime minister, launched a review of the restrictions on Thursday. He warned that "hostile states" could use British funds and tech for "military and intelligence" projects that threaten national security. "Our open economy is being targeted by state-based actors and their proxies," Dowden said in a speech at the Chatham House think tank in...

  • How to build strong, cross-cultural remote teams

    For the past two years, I have worked at a company whose workforce hails from around the globe, including the United States, Europe, and Latin America. I’m the only team member based in Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and I work remotely — like many of my colleagues on the other continents. The experience has opened my eyes to a dynamic blend of workplace norms and cultures, but has also posed some challenges. Differing time zones, humour and customs, access to technology,...

  • 'Just like meaty sausages!' Europe hosts first cultivated meat tasting

    Dutch startup Meatable has hosted the first legally approved tasting of cultivated meat in Europe. On the menu was a lab-grown pork sausage. Meatable says the produce is "indistinguishable" from traditional meat, but causes no harm to animals or the environment. To replicate the flavours and textures of livestock, Meatable first extracts a single cell sample from a pig. The sample is then cultivated in a bioreactor. Over time, the sample multiplies and forms real muscle tissue, which is...

  • 4 in 10 translators are losing work to AI. They want remuneration from devs

    AI threatens to decimate the translation profession, according to a new survey by a British union. Almost four in ten translators (36%) said they've already lost work due to generative AI. Nearly half of them (43%) said the tech has decreased their income. They fear far worse is to come. Over three-quarters of translators (77%) believe GenAI will negatively impact future income from their creative work. The survey was conducted by the Society of Authors (SoA), the UK's largest trade...

  • The UK’s second commercial quantum computer has come online

    California-based quantum circuitry company Rigetti has brought a commercially available quantum computer to the UK. Only the second in the country, it was installed in collaboration with Oxford Instruments NanoScience — a cryogenics company that provides the cooling needed for superconducting qubits. The system, supported by grants from the UK government, is Rigetti’s first UK-based quantum computer and will be accessible via the company’s cloud computing services. When it comes to...

  • TNW Podcast: Caroline Viarouge on EIT Manufacturing and EU-UK collaboration

     Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Linnea and Andrii talk about artificial general intelligence, repairable airbuds, some Wolverine nerdery, drone delivery adoption, and much more. The guest of the show is Caroline Viarouge, CEO at EIT Manufacturing. A big part of the conversation...

  • China still ASML’s biggest market, but falling sales cause drop in profit

    Amid the semiconductor industry’s slowdown and increasing geopolitical tensions, Dutch chip machine-maker ASML reported a decrease both in sales and profits. Europe’s most valuable tech company saw orders fall to €3.6bn in the first quarter of 2024, down from €9.2bn in the previous quarter. Its net profit also dropped to €1.2bn — a 37% decrease compared to Q4 2023. “We see 2024 as a transition,” ASML's President and CEO Peter Wennink said in a statement. Wennink expects a stronger...

  • In biggest-ever election year, tech platforms are wide open for voter manipulation

    Under orders from the EU, tech giants have launched 11 advertising transparency tools. None of them are fit for purpose, according to a new study from Mozilla. The tools provide libraries of data about online adverts. By exploring the repositories, researchers can identify the funders and techniques behind the ads. At least, that's the idea. The libraries are obligatory under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), a law designed to safeguard online environments. By shining a light on ad...