Trains in China have been transformed in recent years as the country has embraced high-speed rail and expanded its network to more than 40,000 km of tracks. The country has more high-speed rail than the rest of the world combined, but the breakthroughs don’t stop there. A study published in the launch issue of the journal High-Speed Railway shows how satellite-based train state perception – for example, using China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) could revolutionize railway signaling.

How does train signaling work?

To understand the benefits of using satellite navigation methods to keep track of trains, it’s useful to consider how railway signaling works today. The governing principle of railway signaling is that no two trains should occupy the same portion of the track. And there are two approaches to managing train movements – fixed block and moving block signaling.

In both cases, the block length (the portion of track reserved for each train) is defined by the stopping distance of the fastest service using that line. And keep in mind that trains in China can take kilometers to come to a standstill when traveling at high speeds.

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Fixed block signaling systems only allow trains to proceed when the next block has become vacant, whereas moving block approaches make sure, dynamically, that there’s sufficient space ahead and behind to accommodate the braking of all units on the line.

Today, the amount of trackside equipment has grown to provide not just signaling data, but also includes systems to monitor train integrity – in other words, whether the front and the back are still attached. There’s other kit too, such as railway infrared hot box detectors that can determine whether wheel bearings are overheating and stop trains before mechanical failures occur.

A #Fuxing #bullettrain, with a designed speed of 350 km/h, departed on Tuesday morning from the Southwest Chinese city of #Guiyang, marking the operation of the Guiyang-Libo section of the Guiyang-Nanning High-speed #Railway. @VisitGuiyang https://t.co/XUSMHTOEiH

— Enterprising China (@sinoprise) August 9, 2023

Key to the implementation of today’s railway management systems is the placement of so-called balises (pronounced /ba-leases/ and named after the French word for ‘marker’), which stand proud a couple of inches above the sleeper below. If you’ve traveled on trains in China and elsewhere in the world, you’ll likely have seen the yellow- or orange-colored units in between the rails.

In their simplest state, balises are kind of like contactless payment points for trains. But rather than record transactions, these track-located transponders – which are powered by looms underneath the locomotive – provide information to the train on its whereabouts and details on the upcoming section of track.

Train transponders: Balises standing proud on a section of track in Europe.

For example, while the train keeps track of its location by counting wheel rotations, this calculation can be checked against the ground truth telegraphed by each balise. This is necessary as wheels slip and wear causes a reduction in diameter that would – if left unchecked – underestimate the distance traveled on long journeys.

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In addition, the beacons tell the train its permitted speed limit for that block of track, as well as information on the geometry and gradient of the upcoming section. Also, balises placed in sequence inform the train of its direction of travel.

However, there are cost implications of having to install and maintain infrastructure over thousands of kilometers of tracks. And to reduce the quantity and complexity of the track-side equipment that’s involved in supporting a modern railway, such as trains running in China and on high-speed networks in other countries, operators are considering approaches that are increasingly train-centric.

In their study, the researchers based at Beijing Jiaotong and Wuhan Universities – with expertise in computer and information technology, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) approaches – consider the idea of so-called virtual balises.

Trains in China

Leveraging satellite positioning data gathered from BDS, which was constructed to provide independence from GPS, trains in China receive balise information based on their location. The advantage, as the Beijing and Wuhan teams point out, is that existing train control system frameworks could remain the same, as the information formats, etc, would be unchanged. But you could reduce the amount of physical trackside infrastructure that’s required.

Satellite positioning data could also be used for train integrity monitoring, to ensure that the front and back of the formation are where you’d expect them to be. And, based on field tests, the teams conclude that satellite systems could be key technologies in raising the capabilities of train-borne navigation.

Also, trains in China are by no means the only modes of transport to jump on this trend. Buses, trams, and trains elsewhere can be seen fitted with rooftop antennas that have active GPS/GNSS capabilities. But what’s striking about the development of intelligent high-speed rail in China is how it’s competing with short-haul flights, and – by all accounts – winning that competition.

And more trains and fewer flights is important to curb carbon dioxide emissions associated with transportation. On TechHQ we’ve written about the steps that aircraft manufacturers and operators will need to take to make aviation more sustainable. And those plans are based on continued growth in demand for flights, but China is showing that high-speed trains can reduce the environmental impact of aviation – at least when routes are competitive with short-haul flights.

High-speed trains in China can carry hundreds of passengers at a time, sometimes even more. The extra-long version of the Fuxing Hao Series Bullet Train can reportedly accommodate 1,283 passengers in 17 cars. And, if the concept of virtual balises takes off, satellite positioning could reduce the cost of operations and add to the appeal of high-speed rail.

The post What does BeiDou satellite study tell us about trains in China? appeared first on TechHQ.

• TikTok is making its algorithm optional for users in the European Union to comply with the Digital Services Act.
• It agrees to laws that ban targeted advertisements for 13 to 17 year olds.
  

Next week, a law policing Big Tech in the European Union comes into force, starting the clock on a process expected to force companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, TikTok, and Twitter, among others, to make their platforms more open and interoperable. The Digital Services Act addresses social media’s societal harms by requiring companies to watch over their platforms for illicit content more aggressively or risk billions of dollars in fines.

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To recall, the European Parliament and all EU member states reached a political agreement on the Digital Services Act in late 2022. The legislation had set a timeline for companies under the Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) category to crack down on hate speech, disinformation, and other harmful and illegal material on their platforms. 

 “If the platform or a search engine has more than 45 million users (10% of the population in Europe), the Commission will designate the service as a very large online platform or a very large online search engine. These services will have four months to comply with the obligations of the DSA, which includes carrying out and providing the Commission with their first annual risk assessment,” the Commission stated.

Timeline for Digital Services Act as set by the European Commission.

On April 23, 2023, the European Commission named a list of 19 tech platforms required to comply starting August 25, 2023. The list includes 17 VLOPs and 2 Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs).

• Alibaba AliExpress
• Amazon Store
• Apple AppStore
• Booking.com
• Facebook
• Google Play
• Google Maps
• Google Shopping
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• Twitter
• Wikipedia
• YouTube
• Zalando

Meanwhile, the VLOSEs listed included Bing and Google Search. What comes after the designation is that the companies are required to comply, within four months, with the complete set of new obligations under the Digital Services Act. Overall, the new law is also helping make Brussels a trailblazer in the growing global movement to clamp down on tech giants. 

In light of the requirements by the European Commission, TikTok’s owner ByteDance and other large online platforms will be required to police illegal content on their platforms, prohibit certain advertising practises, and share data with authorities. TikTok quickly ensured they were on the good side of the block. 

On August 4, the video-sharing platform released new measures and features for European users to comply with the incoming Digital Services Act.

How will TikTok abide by the EU Digital Services Act?

Before releasing its new guidelines, TikTok agreed to a voluntary “stress test” last month. The result was that EU industry chief Thierry Breton recommended “more work” was needed for the firm to be fully compliant.

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“In the coming weeks, we are introducing an additional reporting option for our European* community that will allow people to report content they believe is illegal, including advertising,” TikTok said in a blog posting.

That means making this as easy as possible, and people can choose from categories such as hate speech, harassment, and financial crimes. “We will provide a guide to help people better understand each category,” TikTok noted. As for content reported as being illegal, it will first be reviewed against the platform’s ‘Community Guidelines’ and removed globally if it violates TikTok’s policies. 

If it does not, TikTok has a new dedicated team of moderators and legal specialists to assess whether it violates the law, and “we will restrict access to the content in that country only,” TikTok added. Under the DSA, it will inform European users about a broader range of content moderation decisions. 

“For example, if we decide a video is ineligible for a recommendation because it contains unverified claims about an election that is still unfolding, we will let users know. We will also share more detail about these decisions, including whether the action was taken by automated technology, and we will explain how both content creators and those who file a report can appeal a decision,” the blog post reads.

TikTok also allows its European users to turn off personalization for their feed to meet the Digital Services Act requirements. “This means a user’s For You and LIVE feeds will instead show popular videos from both the places where they live and around the world, rather than recommending content to them based on their interests.”

When using a non-personalized search, users will see results of popular content from their region and in their preferred language. Their Following and Friends feeds will continue to show creators they follow, but in chronological order rather than based on the viewer’s profile.

One of the most significant changes made to cater to TikTok’s European demographic is how it’ll protect teens’ privacy. Firstly, TikTok said accounts for those under 16 are private by default, and their content cannot be recommended in For You feeds. European users aged 13-17 will no longer see personalized advertising based on their activities on or off TikTok. “People already have control over the ads they can see, and they can toggle personalized ads on or off in their settings,” TikTok concluded.

The post TikTok bends to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act appeared first on TechHQ.

In 2019, NASA funded a project to sow the seeds for an all-electric aircraft platform that it hoped would put commercial aviation on a more sustainable flight path. At the time, analysts were forecasting that air travel was on track to increase by 90% in the US over the next 20 years. And the aviation industry’s contribution to global emissions – based on Boston Consulting Group analysis – could balloon from single-digit percentages up to as much as 20% by 2050. Sustainable aviation needed some bright ideas.

What’s the flight path to sustainable aviation?

Four years later, the USD $6 million NASA project – dubbed CHEETA, reflecting how its members form a Center for Cryogenic High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft – has cleared the bar set by phase one’s concept stage. And it’s now time for the partners – which include nine academic institutions, Boeing, GE, and the Air Force Research Lab, all based in the US – to develop prototypes of their designs.

At the core of CHEETA’s sustainable aviation plan is the use of cryogenic hydrogen. “Because hydrogen takes up a lot of volume, it’s best kept cold in a liquid state,” said Phillip Ansell, lead researcher on the NASA program and director of the new Center for Sustainable Aviation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Instead of thinking of that as a barrier, we saw it as an opportunity to leverage those unique characteristics.”

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Superconductivity at room temperature has had a rough ride recently, but the approach, which reduces the energy losses in electric circuits, already has an industrial track record at low temperatures. “We saw a great deal of promise in using the 20 Kelvin cryogenic temperature of liquid hydrogen to enable the use of superconducting technology,” Ansell goes on to explain.

And it’s not just organizations in the US that seem keen on this idea. European aviation giant Airbus is also looking to combine liquid hydrogen and the efficiency gains of superconducting low-temperature circuits. Airbus announced a three-year demonstrator program (ASCEND) in 2021, which has the goal of increasing power density in the propulsion chain while keeping the mass of the distribution system low.

The power and stored energy requirements of air travel, particularly over long-haul routes, make sustainable aviation a tough problem to solve. If you plot the maximum power versus stored energy requirements of different modes of transport on a graph, EVs such as the Tesla Model S and Toyota’s Prius would be on the bottom left – with parameters that can be achieved using batteries.

However, wide-bodied airliners such as the Airbus A380 – which need to carry large numbers of passengers to make the economics of flying add up – are all the way up on the top right. Sustainable aviation needs to address both the need for large amounts of power for take-off and cope with the large distances currently traveled without refueling.

CHEETA still has to prove itself on the scale of a commercial airliner, but the design concept – which uses hydrogen-fed electricity-generating fuel cells to power electric rotors – is off to a promising start. “We were able to reduce the electrical system losses to below 2 percent, so the whole system is over 98 percent efficient from the output of the fuel cell to turning the rotor of the electric machine,” Ansell reports.

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There’s a raft of projects globally looking at hydrogen as a replacement for jet fuel. Hydrogen burns without the carbon emissions of current jet fuel, and produces just water as a product of combustion. But it’s a very small molecule that’s difficult to contain, and critics may point to how fuel cells in vehicles have been slow to take off.

That being said, there are multiple reasons to believe that sustainable aviation based on hydrogen will succeed despite the struggles experienced in the automotive sector. As mentioned, power density and energy storage requirements make it hard to see how batteries will suit all but the smallest of aircraft, making hydrogen-powered fuel cells a more compelling prospect in aerospace.

And the number of refueling stations required are orders of magnitude less than for road transport. There are in the region of 100,000 gas stations for vehicles in the US, which would be a massive infrastructure challenge for hydrogen. However, considering major airports, you only have around 100 facilities to focus on.

Plus, as reported on by TechHQ, airports can use ground vehicles as a pathfinder for building out hydrogen refueling operations. The area around Toulouse in France, which includes a major Airbus manufacturing facility, has a pilot-scale hydrolyser to supply airport buses. And the longer-term plan is to scale this up to provide green fuel for light aircraft.

@LanzaTech have begun their pre-application consultation on their plans to develop a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (#SAF) facility in Port Talbot.

Find out more about the project and share your views here: https://t.co/bsOrdLCT4u pic.twitter.com/iN5IecMnz8

— Neath Port Talbot Council (@NPTCouncil) August 15, 2023

The global pandemic hit the aviation industry hard, but it is now bouncing back in a leaner and more fuel-efficient form. Older planes were retired as part of cost-cutting during Covid. And the industry has long been adept at making marginal gains on performance that have dampened its emissions despite rising numbers of passengers. But it won’t be able to decouple emissions from a boom in air travel without ditching fossil fuels for good.

There are lots of good news stories about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can even be made from food waste, and gives airlines a drop-in replacement. But the use of SAF by airlines globally is currently tiny, and it’s not a zero-emission solution. SAF is said by the International Air Transport Association to reduce CO2 emissions by 80%, as the CO2 absorbed by plants is recycled – for example, when SAF is derived from biomass.

Also, there’s a chicken and egg problem of aviation customers not wanting to pay high prices, but SAF suppliers needing to have a larger market to bring down costs. Given the relatively quick win that SAF offers, it feels likely that biofuels will provide some form of bridge until new technologies, such as those being pursued by CHEETA and other projects, are commercialized.

China, India, and growth in SAF

Experts point to the feasibility of China and India becoming major suppliers of SAF, as the demand for airline travel is expected to grow dramatically in both countries. Producing SAF could utilize concentrations of municipal waste and agricultural residues, as well as creating jobs and driving economic growth.

Considering China, the country is a global force in renewable energy, and producing biofuels to support a path towards sustainable aviation – as well as bolstering energy security – would be a logical move.

What’s also clear is how demand for aviation has weathered developments in communications. Video conferencing capabilities have never been as accomplished as they are today, yet business travel – a profitable revenue stream for airlines – has rebounded. And researchers have shown that the appetite for travel has remained strong over the past 200 years despite the various breakthroughs in communication, such as growth of the postal service, fax machines, and the internet.

This appetite for travel gives confidence to developers of sustainable aviation that passengers will be ready and waiting for future net-zero flights, which cannot come soon enough for the planet.

The post Sustainable aviation: NASA ups bet on liquid hydrogen appeared first on TechHQ.

• Backdoor plans unpopular with US tech firms.
• WhatsApp threatens to leave UK.
• UK governent receives backlash over the Online Safety Bill and Investigatory Powers Act.
• Recently it was revealed that Russian and Chinese hackers accessed the Foreign Office’s internal systems.

Encrypted messaging might be at risk under new UK regulation. A BBC journalist heard from a leader of a big US tech firm that there was a definite tipping point at which the firm would leave the UK. While there’s often big ego talk and empty threat, this felt different.

That tipping point could well be the Online Safety Bill, due to pass this fall, or Autumn, as the Brits like to say. Aimed at protecting children, the bill would see strict rules about policing social media content with high financial penalties and prison time for individual tech execs if the firms fail to comply. Like arguments that invoke Hitler too early, playing the child protection card is a red flag to any data privacy advocate.

Crucially, the rules would include the stipulation that encrypted messages be read and handed over to law enforcement by the platforms they’re sent on if there’s deemed to be a national security or child protection risk.

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As it currently stands, apps like WhatsApp, Proton and Signal, which all offer encryption, can’t see content of sent messages themselves. According to NSPCC, though, encrypted messaging apps are the “front line” of where child abuse images are shared.

They’re also an essential security tool for activists, journalists and politicians (more on that later). It’s hard not to wonder how far the parameters would be drawn around what’s escalated and brought to law enforcement; do we truly believe that police access to private messages is a good idea?

Both WhatsApp and Signal have threatened to leave the UK market over the government’s demands.

Encrypted messaging is, like, WhatsApp’s whole thing.

After tech firms opposed the powers that could be used to scan encrypted messages for child abuse images, amendments were passed by the UK’s second chamber, the House of Lords. Changes to the Online Safety Bill say that a “skilled person” must write a report for communications regulator Ofcom before it uses the new powers to make a company scan its users’ messages.

As end-to-end encrypted messages can only be read by the sender or recipient, critics suggest this means companies would need to scan messages before they are encrypted – so called client-side scanning.

Ministers, police and children’s charities say the powers are necessary to tackle “record levels” of child abuse such as imagery and grooming on online platforms, and to prevent encrypted platforms allowing child abusers to “operate with impunity.”

In 2022, Google made headlines when it closed and refused to reinstate a father’s Google account after content was incorrectly flagged as child abuse. Photos he had taken to send his son’s doctor were explicit but not demonstrative of child abuse; Google handed over his entire account, including photos, messaging and emails, to the authorities.

Campaigners have dubbed the changes to encrypted messaging a “spy clause,” saying that as a minimum a judge should have to authorize the scanning of user messages. Among them is the Open Rights Group which campaignes for digital rights.

“Given that this ‘skilled person’ could be a political appointee, and they would be overseeing decisions about free speech and privacy rights, this would not be effective oversight,” the group wrote.

Proposed amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act, which included tech firms getting Home Office approval for new security features before worldwide release, incensed Apple so much that it threatened to remove Facetime and iMessage from the UK if they go through.

The tech giant has also been staunchly against the clause in the Online Safety Bill that would allow encrypted messages to be read. Its submission to the current consultation is nine pages long, opposing:

• having to tell the Home Office (ministry in charge of law & order) of any changes to product security features before they are released.
• the requirement for non-UK-based companies to comply with changes that would affect its product globally – such as providing a backdoor to end-to-end encryption.
• having to take action immediately if a notice to disable or block a feature is received from the Home Office, rather than waiting until after the demand has been reviewed or appealed against.

Apple says:

• It would not make changes to security features specifically for one country that would weaken a product for all users.
• Some changes would require issuing a software update so could not be made secretly.
• The proposals “constitute a serious and direct threat to data security and information privacy” that would affect people outside the UK.

Encrypted messaging is just part of the problem

The UK Parliament is also passing through the Digital Markets Bill which firms told the BBC gives an unprecedented amount of power to a single body. The bill proposes that the UK’s competition watchdog selects large companies like Amazon and Microsoft, gives them rules to comply with and sets punishments for noncompliance.

Big Tech isn’t exactly in the good books due to past behaviors and many feel accountability and regulation is overdue.

We shouldn’t confuse “pro-innovation” with “pro-Big Tech” warns Professor Neil Lawrence, a Cambridge University academic who has previously acted as an advisor to the CMA. “Pro-innovation regulation is about ensuring that there’s space for smaller companies and start-ups to participate in emerging digital markets”, he said.

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Other experts are concerned that those writing the rules do not understand the rapidly-evolving technology they are trying to harness.

“There are some people in government who’ve got very deep [tech] knowledge, but just not enough of them,” said economist Dame Diane Coyle.

“And so [all] this legislation has been going through Parliament in a manner that seems to technical experts, like some of my colleagues, not particularly well-informed, and putting at risk some of the services that people in this country value very highly.”

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said that it had “worked hand-in-hand with industry and experts from around the world to develop changes to the tech sector”, including during the development of the Online Safety Bill and the Digital Markets Bill.

The UK shouldn’t be in a position where it’s held to ransom by US tech giants, but the services of apps like WhatsApp are widely used by millions, and there’s no UK-based alternative. The thing is, there are alternatives for US tech firms, AKA other countries, so leaving the UK wouldn’t do huge amounts of damage.

When the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked Microsoft’s acquisition of the video game giant Activision Blizzard, the company was furious.

“There’s a clear message here – the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom,” raged chief executive Brad Smith – CMA has reopened negotiations with Microsoft.

That’s not to say that the EU isn’t also getting stricter – in fact that’s kind of what hurts about tech firms moving there. Ultimately, the EU is a bigger market, so more valuable. Of course, until recently the UK was part of that market. But a bed has been made, so the UK government and its people must lie in it.

“There is growing irritation here about the UK and EU trying to rein in Big Tech… that’s seen as less about ethical behaviour and more about jealousy and tying down foreign competition,” says tech veteran Michael Malone.

The UK government: pro-tech, poor security

Source: BBC News.

The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls himself a pro-tech PM. He’s trying desperately to entice the lucrative AI sector into the country. Some firms, including Palantir, OpenAI and Anthropic, have agreed to open UK headquarters.

Naturally, one would assume that a government so concerned with the security of encrypted messaging and controlling the way that technology is used would be tech savvy itself.

Speaking of encrypted messaging, who remembers when ex-government minister, Matt Hancock gave a journalist access to his WhatsApp messages? As part of her writing his memoir, Isabel Oakeshott was privy to 100,000 of Hancock’s private messages – which, in the name of public interest, she shared.

A Tweet about the leaked WhatsApp messages.

Had he not left parliament in favor of fame and fortune (appearing on the UK version of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here) perhaps he’d be an ideal candidate to speak up for those against what Politico calls “screenshot scrutiny.”

Nick Hancock. Definitely a cowboy. Source: Metro News.

It’s recently been revealed that in 2021 a major security breach was kept secret from the public. i News revealed that Russian and Chinese hackers accessed the Foreign Office’s internal systems in the last few weeks. Hackers from both countries compromised internet-connected servers belonging to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), although the breach did not give them access to classified information.

Experts warned this may have put diplomats based in hostile environments at risk or potentially damaged relationships with important strategic allies by revealing private communications with other nations.

Both Russia and China were able to access the system at the same time in separate attacks. “At one point we believe both were on there,” a GCHQ insider told i. “It was very embarrassing and caused great stir in government because they didn’t know whether they should admit it or not.”

Essentially, the government system was an open door and both countries found a way in. It was likely the result of a phishing email.

A cyber security specialist, who worked at the FCDO at the time, also confirmed the hacks took place, adding, in a masterful use of understatement, that it was “certainly sub-optimal”.

A third source, a former intelligence officer at the Foreign Office, said incidents like this in “some form or another” were a “daily occurrence.”

“The issue with government departments is that they are culturally apathetic about security and particularly cyber security,” they told i. “The general feeling is that the intelligence [agencies] have got that [covered], so we don’t need to worry.”

So why is one of the highest security bodies in the UK so apathetic about breaches? The technology in use by staff is predominantly Windows PC – the proven least secure operating system out there.

Maybe just equipping all staff Macs would help – they’re typically less targeted than Windows (running POSIX-compliant BSD operating system variants). Running Linux on government desktop hardware would be an equally valuable security step, and one that would be cheaper to procureme than Apple desktops.

Either way, perhaps it would be best if the government focussed on its own security issues before threatening the UK’s access to tech manufactured by US-based firms.

The post UK gov flounders in encryption and security mire appeared first on TechHQ.

What’s for dinner? An AI recipe generator intended to help shoppers create meal plans, created by New Zealand supermarket chain Pak ‘n’ Save, caught customers’ attention when it suggested an Oreo vegetable stir fry.

The supermarket experiment with generative AI – which, by the way, is everywhere nowadays – used ChatGPT-3.5 to power the Savey Meal-bot that generated meal plans from customers’ leftovers.

After providing three or more ingredients, the bot would come up with a recipe. The concept isn’t unique: there are listicles aplenty toting the top ten AI recipe generators out there.

In a bid to be human, this AI recipe generator is unnaturally verbose.

After Savey Meal-bot’s odd concoction was shared on social media, customers began experimenting with the app. When a range of household items was added to the app, it really got cooking.

A recipe called “aromatic water mix” would create what the app describes as “the perfect nonalcoholic beverage to quench your thirst and refresh your senses.” It would also create chlorine gas, which the app suggested you should “serve chilled and enjoy the refreshing fragrance.”

Via Liam Hehir’s Tweet.

New Zealand political commentator Liam Hehir posted the “recipe,” which has no disclaimer re: the dangers of chlorine gas, to Twitter prompting others to experiment and share their results.

Ah, a hearty lunch. We especially love the wisecracks.

A spokesperson for the supermarket said they were disappointed to see “a small minority have tried to use the tool inappropriately and not for its intended purpose”. The spokesperson for the supermarket, clearly, has never previously released software to end users. To paraphrase an old saying, “if you give an inch, they’ll take pleasure in using the inch in ways never expected or coded for.”

In a statement, they said that the supermarket would “keep fine tuning our controls” of the bot to ensure it was safe and useful, and noted that the bot has terms and conditions stating that users should be over 18. Pak ‘n’ Save lives in a world where there are no stupid (or playful) adults.

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“You must use your own judgement before relying on or making any recipe produced by Savey Meal-bot,” it said, and a new warning notice now appends the meal planner that the recipes aren’t reviewed by a human being.

Now, obviously someone who got given a recipe for “methanol bliss” – picture turpentine-flavored French toast – will have provided a set of ingredients that aren’t all food items and wouldn’t follow through on the recipe.

However, the wonder-machines that everyone is so keen to invest in and experiment with shouldn’t be taken at such face-value. The consumer-facing iteration of ChatGPT encourages users not to combine water, bleach and ammonia. Unless you use the “Grandma Exploit.”

There will always be hiccups with new technology (and probably with ant-poison and glue sandwiches, too), but the Savey Meal-bot points to a wider issue with the uptake of AI.

In the rush to adopt the new technology, proper testing isn’t carried out. Plus, generative AI is trained on such a vast amount of data that no human could read or oversee it in their lifetime. This, along with the fact that its answers are randomly generated, means it’s near impossible for programmers to anticipate problems.

This bot suggests you shouldn’t use *every* ingredient you have…

If everyone wasn’t so ready to embrace AI as an all-knowing overlord, and people weren’t so quick to accept robot orders (see: the number of drivers who followed GPS into large bodies of water) then perhaps the Savey Meal-bot would be a fun story.

Luckily, no one has been hurt. With AI being deployed in as many fields as possible though, it’s good to be reminded that it has flaws – that could be deadly. Even if only to idiots. We at Tech HQ look forward to a new category of Darwin Awards winners.

The post AI recipe generator will leave you gassy appeared first on TechHQ.

America, Japan and South Korea are bunking together – it isn’t summer without camp!

Officials say leaders from the United States, Japan and South Korea are meeting at Camp David to launch new defense steps. The three countries will launch a series of joint initiatives on technology and defense this Friday.

US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the summit will see the three leaders agree to a mutual understanding about regional responsibilities amid mounting shared concerns about China.

US President Joe Biden will host at his presidential retreat. Photo: AFP.

A three-way hotline will be set up to communicate in times of crisis, but the summit is unlikely to produce a formal security arrangement that commits the nations to each other’s defense.

US President Joe Biden invited Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, to the storied presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.

Camp David’s a little better than cabins in the woods. dapd via AP, FILE

For the two Asian nations, the trip will be part of their work to mend tattered diplomatic relations in the face of a greater regional threat posed by both China’s rise and North Korea. US officials hope this will be the first of many meetings, to become an annual gathering between the three leaders.

The summit on Friday will also see the three leaders signal deeper cooperation in areas including cybersecurity and supply chain resilience.

In March this year, South Korea and Japan held their first summit in 12 years. The meeting this week will mark another step towards easing tensions between the two states after years of dispute.

Photo via Reuters.

Washington has formal collective defense arrangements in place with Tokyo and Seoul separately, but wants the two countries to work more closely with one another in the face of China’s mounting power.

“We are anticipating some steps that will bring us closer together in the security realm,” said one of the U.S. officials, and that doing so would “add to our collective security.”

But the U.S. official added that, “it’s too much to ask – it’s a bridge too far – to fully expect a three-way security framework among each of us. However, we are taking steps whereby each of the countries understand responsibilities with respect to regional security, and we are advancing new areas of coordination and ballistic missile defense, again technology, that will be perceived as very substantial.”

It’s likely that a joint statement between the three countries will come out of the summit. It will include language speaking to concerns about China’s desire to change the status of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

Taiwan’s TSMC powers the chip industry. © Illustration by Michael Tsang via Financial Times.

The language used will have to be consistent with previous US positions on the subject, avoiding an escalation in rhetoric that would undermine efforts to ease tensions ahead of potential talks between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Christopher Johnstone, a former Biden White House official now with Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told Reuters he expected a summit statement recognizing that the security of the three countries is linked, “and that some measure of threat to one is a threat to all,” even if this would fall short of NATO’s Article 5 language, that sees an attack on one as an attack on all.

All of this comes after a collaboration between the Chinese and Russian militaries that unsettled the US.

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The South China Morning Post reports that China is on “high alert” as Biden hosts – building what some have called a “de facto Asian Nato.”

Some are saying that, given the integration of the Asian countries’ economies with China, they have no intention of picking sides between Beijing and Washington.

For the Japanese government, the alliance with the U.S. is an easy tool for concrete interests, and a condition in exchange for Washington’s support on international issues.

Of course, all of this is happening amidst the silicon blockade imposed on China by America. Beyond maintaining US primacy in the tech world, the effects will cut into Chinese military advancements, and threaten its economic growth and scientific leadership.

As a result, China is working hard to develop its own domestic semiconductor industry, leading to increased competition and vulnerabilities in the software supply chain, too.

This could result in increased attacks on the U.S. supply chain and attempts to gain access to U.S. suppliers’ networks and facilities to both exfiltrate intellectual property and introduce malicious code or components into the supply chain.

“Another potential risk is that this increased competition could lead to the fragmentation (or Balkanization) of the global cybersecurity ecosystem, with different regions using different standards and technologies,” said Ted Miracco, CEO at Approov.

It’s likely that the closeness between the US, Japan and South Korea will include moves to universalize their technological aims and defenses to avoid any such fragmentation. Until a statement from the three leaders, all anyone can do is watch and wait.

The post Camp David will host diplomatic meeting on China defense plan appeared first on TechHQ.

More than a year has passed since economists deemed a recession more likely than not in the USA, and it certainly seems that the ticking time bomb has been diffused. Inflation has slowed significantly, while the unemployment rate is near a five-decade low. Consumer spending is growing, corporate profits are strong, and the housing market is stabilizing.

While this is positive news, experts warn that we should not pop the champagne corks just yet. Inflation is still well above the Federal Reserve’s annual target of 2 percent, and there is no guarantee that measures taken to lower it will remain consequence-free.

Tightening monetary policies could still negatively impact wage growth and apply increased financial strains on hard-working families. A 2022 survey found that 62 percent of Americans are nervous that inflation will affect their retirement savings and/or when they will retire.

Given the uncertain economic landscape, the need for employees to have both 401(k) retirement plans and Emergency Savings Accounts (ESAs) becomes crucial. A 401(k) offers a long-term savings strategy, ensuring security in retirement, while ESAs act as a safety net during times of financial difficulty in the short term. Both accounts work together to give the holder a sense of financial well-being and preparedness for whatever the future may hold.

Source: Shutterstock

Why offer 401(k) Retirement Accounts?

A 401(k) enables employees to save for retirement in tax-advantaged accounts. Contributions are deducted directly from their paychecks and are not subject to income tax at the time of deposit, lowering their taxable income for that year.

One of the key incentives of 401(k)s is employer-matched contributions. Many companies offer to match a portion of their employees’ contributions, effectively providing “free money” that accelerates retirement savings. Profit-sharing employers may also contribute a portion of business profits to employee retirement savings.

Consistent contributions are vital for maximizing the potential of a 401(k) account. By doing so, employees benefit from dollar-cost averaging, reducing the impact of market fluctuations and steadily building their retirement savings over time. Compounding in this way, combined with the tax benefits and employer matching, make these accounts an invaluable tool for financial security in later life.

Why offer Emergency Savings Accounts?

ESAs are designed to cover expenses or crises that may arise unexpectedly. Unlike retirement accounts, these funds are readily accessible, providing a cushion to address immediate financial needs without disrupting long-term savings plans. Individuals can dip into this pot to help with situations like medical emergencies, car repairs, or sudden job losses. Its presence offers peace of mind during times of economic instability, which could otherwise impact their work. Employees can also avoid alternative emergency options that can result in debt through inflated interest rates, like a payday loan or charging a credit card.

Source: Shutterstock

If an individual was to withdraw funds from their 401(k) account during these times, they may face hefty early withdrawal penalties, incur additional taxes, and compromise the long-term growth potential of their retirement savings due to lost compounding interest. Moreover, tapping into their 401(k) during emergencies jeopardizes their future financial security, as the account is intended to support them during retirement when their ability to earn income diminishes.

A 2022 survey found that 22 percent of US workers borrowed from retirement savings in the past year, with 64 percent claiming it was their least expensive option. This illustrates why it is so crucial that employees maintain both a 401(k) and an ESA simultaneously. Furthermore, research from BlackRock’s Emergency Savings Initiative, with the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association Retirement Research Center (DCIAA RRC), found that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income households with at least $1,000 in emergency savings were half as likely to withdraw from their workplace retirement savings account and 70 percent more likely to contribute to a defined contribution (DC) retirement plan.

Allocating financial resources between 401(k)s and ESAs

How much employees should set aside into their 401(k) accounts and ESAs is based on a myriad of factors, including age, how long they plan to continue working, household size, and current and future cost of living. However, starting as early as possible is key, as is regularly reviewing contributions to ensure they are set at a suitable rate.

A good place to start is to set the percentage contribution to the 401(k) to at least the percentage the company will match so employees can take full advantage of that benefit. The same goes for the ESA, but employers tend to match with a dollar amount rather than a percentage contribution.

Source: Shuttertock

It is wise to have employee contributions automated so workers can build the accounts up over time without any input. This reduces the risk of individuals neglecting or forgetting to contribute regularly, which is a common pitfall when it comes to long-term savings. They can also take advantage of dollar-cost averaging, reducing the impact of market volatility and potentially maximizing returns over time. Early results indicate that creating an ESA through an employer does not impact the contribution to the employee’s retirement plan.

Help secure your employees’ finances – today and tomorrow

Offering your employees the opportunity to contribute to 401(k) accounts and ESAs allows them to feel complete financial security because the two complement each other uniquely. An ESA helps protect their 401(k) contributions as they will not need to withdraw from their retirement funds during an emergency, ensuring that it continues to grow throughout their employment. On the other hand, the 401(k) eliminates the need for employees to ever question if they should withdraw money from their ESA in an emergency, as they don’t need to store these funds for the future.

The SEIU California State Council is one example of an organization that set up ESAs for its employees to support their financial well-being. They selected SecureSave as their provider as it boasts a 56 percent employee participation rate on rollout. “SecureSave is a low-cost, really novel benefit,” said Steve Robinson Burmester, the Director of Finance for the Council. “I noticed that a lot of people were borrowing money against their 401(k), and SecureSave offered an excellent auxiliary plan.” The SecureSave ESAs clocked a 95 percent retention rate, thanks to employees appreciating the ability to access their funds immediately during unexpected emergencies.

If you would like to learn more about how your company could benefit from ESAs, contact the SecureSave team today.

The post Preparing for the future: Why your employees need both 401k accounts and emergency savings appeared first on TechHQ.

Construction is not famous for being the most high-tech industry. In fact, to the uninitiated, it often conjures images of hard hats, steel-toed boots, and blueprints scattered across dusty worksites. Yet, as the world moves into a new era of connectivity, builders and contractors now face a challenge: the reluctance to fully embrace technological solutions that could revolutionise their operations.

One of these solutions is the bespoke construction management platform. While many businesses have taken great pains to set up generic team management software, these often do not offer the most useful features or have the necessary flexibility to address the unique demands of construction projects. Construction management platforms, on the other hand, are tailored to the intricacies of the industry, offering specialised features like Request For Information (RFI) response solutions and revision control of documents.

TechHQ looks at the top five ways such a platform can transform your construction business.

1. Delay prevention

According to McKinsey Global Institute, 77 per cent of construction projects are behind schedule. Delays are common in the industry due to a variety of factors, including unexpected site conditions like unstable soil or hidden utilities, regulatory hurdles, weather, supply chain disruptions and contractual disputes – to name just a few.

Source: Shutterstock

With so many potential issues outside of company control, it is important to increase efficiency in any way possible. Construction management software enables this with real-time updates on project progress, instant information sharing between those on and off-site, and better coordination between architects, contractors, and suppliers. Additionally, Building Information Modeling (BIM) capabilities allow users to create detailed 3D models that identify any potential clashes or conflicts in advance, reducing design changes that often lead to delays.

2. Reduced mistakes

By affording immediate access to current and accurate project information, a construction management platform plays a pivotal role in curbing errors in projects. They enable seamless communication and data sharing among team members, preventing misunderstandings that often lead to mistakes.

Real-time updates on project plans, blueprints, and specifications allow teams to work from the latest information. Specialised drawing management tools let users overlay several drawings and highlight any revisions in a different colour, making them easy to spot. These features work together to reduce the chances of discrepancies between design and execution.

3. Cost savings

Reduced mistakes lead to cost savings, as rectifying errors can be a significant financial drain on construction projects. A report from Autodesk estimated that $13.2 billion was spent in the US on rework due to mistakes resulting from inadequate data in 2018 alone. By providing up-to-date information, automated workflows, and centralised documentation, construction management platforms safeguard against the costly errors that result from insufficient or siloed data.

As well as boosting project profitability, reducing material wastage benefits the environment. When information flows between digital channels, it reduces the need to transport project managers and contractors to and from the construction site, reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Source: Shutterstock

4. Improved communication

Construction management platforms are often accessible by a web app for the office and a mobile app for on-site use. This means that all employees working on a project can access the latest information – for example, drawings, BIM models and work plans – wherever they are and on whatever device they have access to.

Team members can communicate through a platform’s instant messaging feature, which stores the conversation. This helps avoid misunderstandings which can crop up in long lines of unrecorded communication and disconnected channels. Some platforms ensure users do not miss essential project updates or adjustments by sending out push notifications, working to keep every team member in the loop. They can also improve communication with external stakeholders, for example, by allowing them to respond to RFIs quickly over email or fill in PDFs online.

5. Secure files

Keeping project documentation and other files secure is of utmost importance to any construction business. Failure to ensure this security could expose companies to risks such as data breaches, unauthorised access, intellectual property theft, and compromised client confidentiality. In previous years, companies may have invested in Windows or Mac-based software to manage these files, which could be expensive and quickly become outdated and slow. It may, therefore, not have been long until another time-consuming IT overhaul was required.

Many of the construction management platforms of today are cloud-based, meaning they can be updated in real time. This allows for enhanced performance and state-of-the-art security without any hassle. It also provides more storage for company files and easy access, as any device that connects to the platform can download them with just a few clicks. This eliminates the need to hire expensive courier services when delivering project drawings to sites.

A leading unified construction management tool is Fonn, which offers all those benefits and more. Users report a 30 per cent increase in work delivered after setting up the platform, with projects completed on time and on budget. To explore the possibilities Fonn offers for your construction business, book a demo today.

The post Top five reasons why construction businesses need a bespoke management platform appeared first on TechHQ.

• Foxconn plans to actively deploy work in crucial components to raise its competitiveness in India.
• Foxconn expects sales to fall in the current quarter and the year overall as expectations of a worsening market for electronics linger. 

There is no doubt that consumers have pulled back since last year after a pandemic-induced shopping spree saw people splurge on devices needed for telework and home study. However, the weakening demand’s end seems far from sight. More and more industry bellwethers are seeing faltering numbers, including Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, actively planning a large-scale expansion in India amidst it all.

The Taiwan-based manufacturer, formerly Hon Hai Precision Industry, is best known for its relationship with Apple. Not too long after the Cupertino, California-based tech giant recorded its longest sales slump in decades, Foxconn also started seeing its sales dwindling. For context, according to Canalys’s latest research, the worldwide smartphone market fell by 10% to 258.2 million units in Q2 2023.

Global smartphone market decline softens as shipments drop 10% in Q2 2023. Source: Canalys

At this point, it is the eighth consecutive quarter of a year-on-year decline in overall smartphone shipments. For Foxconn, that’s significant because consumer electronics, including smartphones and wearable devices, are a major revenue contributor. After reporting a 1% drop in second-quarter net profit, Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, said it anticipates that most of its main business segments will be in contraction for the year. 

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According to the company’s statement, in the second quarter of 2023, revenue totaled NT$1.3045 trillion, down 14% on the year. “Gross profit, at NT$83.6 billion, fell 14% at the same time; operating income was NT$30.9 billion, down 30%; while net profit fell 1% from a year ago to NT$33.0 billion,” Foxconn noted. The company reckons operating performance in the third quarter should warm up and show a trend of on-quarter growth. 

“However, considering many external variables, in response to uncertainties such as global monetary tightening, geopolitical tensions, and inflation, the full-year outlook is now expected to decline from previous flattish expectations slightly,” Foxconn admitted. 

As the South China Morning Post writer puts it, Foxconn’s results underscore expectations of a worsening market for global electronics as consumers and corporations hold off on spending during an economic downturn. To top it off, the company’s revenue could be affected by muted iPhone growth in 2023, according to Steven Tseng, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

As it is, based on a report by Bloomberg, Apple is asking suppliers to produce about 85 million units of the iPhone 15 this year, roughly in line with the year before. The aim is to hold shipments steady despite tumult in the global economy and a projected decline in the overall smartphone market. 

Foxconn in India

Over the last two years, Foxconn has had a renewed push into India, where it first invested 15 years ago. Today, India accounts for US$10 billion of Foxconn’s annual revenue, according to a presentation reviewed by the Financial Times. That makes up 4.6% of the company’s US$216 billion 2022 revenue, more than double the 2% registered in 2021.  

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So far, according to the internal presentation, Foxconn currently has nine campuses in India with 36 factories. Its operations are mainly concentrated in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, producing smartphones, feature phones with fewer functions than smartphones, television sets, and set-top boxes for customers including Sony, Xiaomi, and Apple.

Foxconn Chairman and CEO Young Liu (L) greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during SemiconIndia 2023, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on July 28, 2023. (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY / AFP)

In recent months the group has broken ground for a factory near Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state, that government officials said would make smart headphones. It has also acquired land near the airport in the Karnataka capital Bengaluru for an iPhone plant. According to the internal Foxconn presentation, another site near Hyderabad and two more in Karnataka are in the planning stage.

Liu also told investors in the recent earnings call that the company expected to invest “several billion dollars” in India and to start making critical components for consumer electronics and some electric vehicle components next year in Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, its largest existing iPhone assembly hub.   

Liu also pointed out that since Foxconn entered India in 2005, its revenue, number of employees, and investment scale have grown exponentially. At present, it is mainly engaged in the ICT final assembly business. In the future, he said Foxconn would actively deploy work in key components to raise its competitiveness in India.

“In addition to existing operations in the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states, Hon Hai will also deploy in Karnataka, Telangana, and other states. Hon Hai will plan to establish industrial parks and optimize the business environment regarding infrastructure, policies, and laws through close cooperation with central and local governments,” Foxconn said in the earnings statement.

Outside of India, Liu said Foxconn will continue to implement the build-operate-localize (BOL) strategy in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, to assist local partners in improving the supply chain and enhancing indigenous competitiveness. In terms of China, he said the country accounts for 75% of Foxconn’s global operations, up from 70% before the pandemic.

However, experts believe that Foxconn will never return to the days when it manufactured almost the entire supply of a hit product in one location.

The post Weakening demand hits Foxconn, but expansion plans in India wait for no one appeared first on TechHQ.

The planet would be happier if people bought used electronic devices rather than succumbing to the temptation of new products. But there’s an undeniable joy in buying something new. And device makers with supreme marketing teams know that. However, what if you could give a buy-like-new boost to purchasing refurbished smartphones and other electronics?

On TechHQ we’ve written about how R2V3 – the latest version of the sustainable electronic reuse and recycling standard – provides a ‘trust mark’ to firms looking to dispose of IT assets. But the wheels of the circular electronic economy are only going to pick up speed if more consumers are happy to shop for remanufactured and refurbished devices.

Making buying refurbished smartphones feel like new

And that’s where electronics marketplaces such as Back Market fit in, by making the purchasing of refurbished smartphones – to name the most popular category of used device – feel like buying new.

Device refurbishers and electronics re-manufacturers are doing a great job of breathing new life into products and components that are no longer needed by their original owners. And it’s worth reminding that the amount of resources saved by extending the life of products such as phones and laptops is huge.

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A detailed 181-page report commissioned by ADEME, the French agency for ecological transition, lays out the environmental impact of choosing a refurbished device over a new equivalent – examining smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Using lifecycle analysis methods, researchers crunched the numbers on the environmental burden presented by different usage scenarios.

Putting devices back on the market still leaves a footprint – used products need to be transported for inspection and re-selling, and screens and batteries may need to be replaced – to give a few examples of where resources are still consumed. But the scale of the environmental impact is tiny relative to the energy and materials that are involved in manufacturing new products.

The ADEME report found that purchasing a refurbished smartphone and using it for 2 years, instead of purchasing a new smartphone and using it for 3 years, reduced the ecological load by 86% – examining the material input per unit of service (MIPS). Carbon dioxide emissions were 87% lower, and the benefits of extending device lifetimes add up across all environmental measures.

Latest from our most comprehensive refurbished report
->Refurbished smartphone sales grew 5% globally but China saw a 17% YoY decline.
->Apple captured 49% of the global refurbished smartphone market in 2022 followed by Samsung at 26%.https://t.co/xt5XaNjMVA pic.twitter.com/2CciP2rrri

— Tarun Pathak (@Tarunpathak) April 24, 2023

What’s more, refurbished devices in excellent condition are indistinguishable from new products. The last hurdle to overcome in convincing shoppers to opt for used over new devices is the buying process. And for sales of refurbished smartphones and other electronic goods to boom, this has to compete with the experience of selecting and purchasing a new product.

Marketplaces for refurbished electronics such as Back Market, which brings together buyers and sellers globally, understand this and are rising to the challenge. Shoppers have 30 days to return purchased devices – for example, if they change their mind about an item. Devices are guaranteed for 12 months, and shoppers have the same payment options that they are used to when buying new.

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“The obsession with buying new is going to diminish over time,” Katy Medlock, General Manager for Back Market in the UK, told TechHQ. “All of our markets are showing the enthusiasm for refurbishment.” Medlock points to the role that marketplaces have in educating consumers on not just the benefits of buying a used device, but emphasizing how the user experience (UX) has developed.

Back Market has 8 million customers worldwide and has recently launched a trade-in service that allows device owners to get an offer on phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming consoles from expert refurbishers. And having operations at scale, providing a badge of trust to buyers and sellers, is great news for the circular electronics economy.

Right to repair movement

At the same time, legislative wheels are turning and putting pressure on electronics firms to design products that are repairable and make it possible for customers to buy parts. “Having a reliable working device is no longer a nice to have; it’s a need,” Medlock adds.

Right to repair not only lowers the environmental burden of electronic goods, it makes devices more affordable and available to all. Education has moved online in a big way, and being without a laptop means missing out on lessons. Also, accessing services from banking to managing your energy supplier to booking travel and accommodation is moving to a digital-first model.

Refurbished smartphones, tablets, and other internet-enabled devices keep people connected without having to pay a premium for the latest shiny new thing. There are also supply chain considerations. Giving consumers and businesses other channels to purchase devices builds resilience.

And in some cases, it may be the only way to find parts. In the automotive sector, scrap dealers have embraced the digital age, and the so-called reverse manufacturing of cars and other vehicles is becoming an increasingly slick operation. Vehicles are barcoded as they arrive, booked onto a database, stripped, inspected – with parts photographed – and saleable items prepared for online bids, all within a few hours.

There’s money to be made in keeping useful items out of landfill, and when it’s profitable to do the right thing for the environment, the planet stands a fighting chance of being saved. Sectors such as aviation and fast fashion have come under scrutiny, and companies are realizing that they can no longer bank on sales without demonstrating how there are addressing the environmental impact of the products and services that they provide.

That ecological burden applies to electronics too, but when shopping for refurbished smartphones, laptops, and other products lights up the brain in the same way as buying new – thanks to UX-focused marketplaces – resources are saved for another day.

The post Refurbished smartphones get buy-like-new boost appeared first on TechHQ.