Technology News Era

For a long time, the concept of work-life balance felt like an unattainable myth; all it took was a global pandemic and the ensuing government-enforced lockdowns to show employers that their staff could work remotely and still get the job done. In fact, studies show that remote employees work more hours overall than those based in an office for part or all of the week—remote workers put in an extra 8.7 hours per week on average compared to their office-based colleagues who average 6.5 extra hours. Post-pandemic a vast number of organisations have come around to the idea that flexible… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Ucj9pWw

In the fiercely contested smartphone market, photography can be a key battleground. Alongside the insatiable desires for better batteries, durability, storage, and processing, camera quality consistently ranks as a key factor when choosing a phone. At CES 2023, Spectricity, a startup based in Belgium, unveiled a new entrant to the competition: the S1 chip.  Spectricity claims the S1 is the first truly miniaturised and mass-manufacturable spectral image sensor for mobile devices — and the company is targetting sector dominance. Within two years, Spectricity boldly predicts the sensor will be inside every smartphone. The bullishness derives from a singular focus: measuring… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2EIf1P3

Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of 21st-century life. But it’s not unique to us: it’s been part of the human story since our earliest written records – even featuring in the plotlines of ancient myths and legends. While ChatGPT threatens to change writing (and writing-related work) as we know it, the Mesopotamians, who lived 4,000 years ago (in a geographical area centred in modern-day Iraq), went through this kind of seismic change before us. Their civilisation is credited with the invention of writing. The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aJURxus

Britishvolt, a prominent UK battery startup, had generated enthusiasm over its plans to build the country’s first battery gigafactory. But after filing for administration in January, it has now been bought by Australian firm Recharge Industries. Launched in 2019, Britishvolt had planned a £3.8 billion battery plant near the Port of Blyth in Northumberland, promising 300,000 batteries per year, the creation of 3,000 direct jobs, as well as a significant boost to the region’s economy and the UK’s production of EV batteries. Despite gaining a funding pledge by the government and partnering with major companies like Aston Martin and Glencore, in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ldXr6N9

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is commemorating horrific losses — and remarkable defiance. The country’s fierce resistance on the battlefield has been echoed on the digital front — where Kyiv has unique experience. The conflict with Russia has become the world’s first full-scale cyberwar, but Ukraine was a test bed for digital weapons long before the invasion of 24 February, 2022. Since Putin’s troops began flooding across the border, the cyber tactics have shifted dramatically. These developments have made Ukraine a bellwether for digital warfare. And to the surprise of analysts, cyber attacks have had a limited impact… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/7zAhims

With the goal of establishing a long-term presence on the Moon, the European Space Agency (ESA) is working on a new project that will help determine the feasibility of growing plants on the lunar surface. Led by Norway’s Solsys Mining, the project will seek to develop a method for converting lunar soil into fertiliser for use in hydroponic farming. The study builds on previous research on lunar soil samples. While lunar soil, also known as regolith, is rich in most nutrients necessary for plant growth, it compacts in the presence of water, making it problematic for seeds to establish healthy… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qlLWQY0

A raft of research, supported by startup developments, suggests drones inspired by nature are the future of flight. Plans for the future of airborne transport include seeing a small army of drones competing for space in the sky with the 50 billion birds worldwide. But there’s also the potential of a halfway house, where drones that look like birds end up flying alongside the animals they’re inspired from and the traditional quadcopters. A new raft of drones inspired by nature, many of which are university spin-offs, are capturing the attention of investors. Animal Dynamics, which was launched in 2015 as… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2dM4xRA

What is happiness? And how can we be happy? These questions are integral to the human experience, but their answers can be elusive. We can apply several perspectives to approach them, through philosophy or psychology, for instance. We can also use our personal view of our feelings and goals as we navigate through life. But can we bring a scientific approach to happiness? Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, believes we can. The institute combines qualitative and quantitative methods to provide insights on well-being, happiness, and the quality of life. Its mission? To inform decision-makers in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/py3uet6

Predictive policing has exposed a new group of future criminals: MEPs. A new testing systems has spotlighted five EU politicians as “at risk” of committing future crimes. Luckily for them, it’s not a tool that’s used by law enforcement, but one designed to highlight the dangers of such systems. The project is the brainchild of Fair Trials, a criminal justice watchdog. The NGO is campaigning for a ban on predicting policing, which uses data analytics to forecast when and where crimes are likely to happen — and who may commit them. Proponents argue that the approach can be more accurate,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zchqBFW

In 2012, two former students from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Northern Dutch city of Groningen, took a major gamble. They made a list of 100 companies they’d like to work for — including Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, and Uber — and hacked them. As you can imagine, this little stunt certainly got their attention. Now, $159.4M in investment later, their cybersecurity company, HackerOne, reached unicorn status in 2022 and counts big players like Nintendo, AT&T, Hyatt, GM, and even the Pentagon amongst its clients. HackerOne is a bug bounty hunting platform that enables companies to enlist the help… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/dYNho1k

A rough year in public markets has taken a heavy toll on startups. According to new research, every unicorn in Europe that went public in 2021 has since shrunk in valuation. The losses follow record-highs for VC exit valuations in 2021. PitchBook, a financial data firm, attributed the downturn to a shrinking public market. The company found that 13 unicorns went public during 2021’s bull market and IPO frenzy. Yet none have gone on to have positive share price returns. Their numbers paint a gloomy picture. By the end of 2022, more than half of them had lost over 75% of their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2CbHYUO

Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos: what these names have in common is they are all founders of some of tech’s most powerful companies. The other key thing they have in common is they’re all men. While there are many women founders—Melanie Perkins of Canva and Sandy Lerner of Cisco are just two, along with Mira Murati, the CTO of OpenAI, creator of the much-lauded ChatGPT—there is a significant gender disparity in the technology industry. There are many systemic reasons for this. Globally, women make up over 50% of the population, but own only 1% of the total… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/UxaCkJQ

Although the UK has set out ambitious clean energy targets, it risks lagging behind the US and the EU in attracting the required investments, two of the country’s energy trade organisations have warned. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Spring Budget next month, Energy UK and Renewable UK have published two separate reports, calling on the government to implement measures and rule changes that will enable the UK to attract vital private investment in renewables. “The renewable energy sector is facing a perfect storm this year. According to Energy UK’s report, investment in low-carbon electricity generation “has deteriorated significantly” in the past… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cxf0621

This article was originally published on .cult by Chameera Dulanga. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries, and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. Software development is teamwork and having a good team structure is vital for its success. But, even a tiny misalignment could adversely affect our teams’ output. That’s why we should be extra careful when putting a team together. In this article, I’ll discuss some important factors you need to consider when building a software engineering team for your company. Why is team… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gO6a3Wr

When it comes to investing in innovation, certain industries have flourished over others. Those that haven’t are now facing a do or die situation to keep up with the demands of a modern society, the ever-prominent concern around the climate crisis, inflation issues, and an aging population. Looking at the global stats Tracxn collected from 230+ sectors between 2013 and 2023, it’s clear which industries — education, hospitality, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, real estate and construction, and commercial airline — have fallen behind, received less funding and seen less successful startups being founded. Whether it’s been down to high costs, difficulty… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qCoeORv

The Dutch tech startup ecosystem has been steadily flourishing over the past five years, establishing itself as one of Europe’s most vibrant hubs. Yet, there are still hurdles the Netherlands needs to overcome in order to reach its full potential and successfully compete on a global scale. That’s according to the annual State of Dutch Tech report by TechLeap, a non-profit organisation which helps quantify and accelerate the ecosystem in the Netherlands. Here are seven key takeaways from the report you need to know about: The Netherlands houses the EU’s most successful ecosystem In 2022, the Amsterdam-Delta region was the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/lTBVRxM

Five EU member states and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group have launched a new fund to support the late-stage growth of promising European tech startups and increase the continent’s competitiveness in innovation. The so-called European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) aims to address the issue with inadequate late-stage funding, especially for companies seeking more than €50 million in capital. Boosting European investment “Europe’s tech startups often do not have sufficient capital to compete on a global scale and are pushed to relocate overseas. Closing this scale-up gap could create a large number of highly skilled jobs and boost growth,” the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/En3G70Z

In a world first, scientists from the University of Sussex and Universal Quantum, a spin-off of the university, have demonstrated that quantum bits (qubits) can directly transfer between quantum computer microchips. This breakthrough is expected to overcome a major obstacle in building quantum computers that are large and powerful enough to address the crucial societal challenges they’re envisioned to: from medicine development, to the creation of new materials and climate change solutions. To address these issues, experts estimate that millions of qubits are required — a number currently out of reach, with existing quantum computers operating on the 100-qubit scale.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rFmGRJy

València regularly tops rankings of the best cities in the world, due to its stellar combo of 300-plus annual days of sun, the Med on your doorstep, and a lifestyle that values free time, exercise, and good food. But it’s not all paella and chill. The Valèncian region’s startup scene — based mainly in its capital plus the smaller cities of Alicante and Castellon — has been revving up in recent years, and is now making its mark in everything from AI, fintech, and cybersecurity, to cleantech, healthtech, and industrial IoT. With TNW’s first conference in València just around the corner,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/PdUjIhW

Cover letters are something many job candidates really struggle with. Lots of people aren’t even convinced they’re necessary. With so many job applications happening these days via websites and apps –– surely that online form you filled out is all that’s needed? A recent survey from Cultivated Culture found that, while 53% of employers prefer candidates who add cover letters with their CVs, only 10% of hiring managers actually take time to read them, which further adds to job applicants’ frustration. And if you’re job hunting and want to send out as many applications as possible, does writing an individualized… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/fBSV18R

The EU has announced the three winners of the European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC), which seeks to find pioneering solutions to societal challenges. The 2022 challenge, named “the future of living,” was designed to attract participants who can advance the affordability, sustainability, and re-invention of European housing districts. “Social innovation is crucial to increase resilience and support the transformation of our economies, while putting people first,” Hubert Gambs, the Commission’s Deputy Director General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs,  said. “With this competition, which celebrates its tenth edition this year, we support social innovations that will bring social, environmental,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/V2QRlkn

It’s no secret that the Netherlands is a European leader when it comes to the tech and startup sectors. The country attracted €1.8bn in investment in 2021 alone, more than double the €790m raised in 2020. While many people think of Amsterdam as the country’s startup capital and a global tech powerhouse — and with success stories like Adyen, MessageBird and Mollie, they’re not wrong — the Netherlands’ lesser-known cities are becoming favorites amongst expats who want to be part of the country’s dynamic tech scene, without the hustle of big city life. Take Groningen. Known as the country’s “capital of the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Efp7kTB

The new Netflix murder mystery film Glass Onion is a cautionary tale – but not about influencers, tech bros, or ironic architecture, as some have suggested. Glass Onion (along with HBO’s Succession) is actually a warning about the potential perils of going into business with your friends or family. Such businesses are a huge contributor to any economy. Globally, between 70 and 80% of firms are co-owned or co-managed by family or friends. Close relations can be a great source of support and positive influence on a new idea or business. My research, focusing on new business development within universities, shows… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vNARg9V

In a coordinated action with US authorities, the UK has imposed sanctions on seven Russian cyber criminals associated with the deployment of the Conti and Ryuk ransomware as well as the Trickbot banking trojan. This follows a thorough investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and marks the UK’s first-ever joint cyber crime sanctions. According to the British government, ransomware is a “tier one national security threat” that’s increasingly used to attack businesses and public sector organisations. Ransomware groups known as Conti, Wizard Spider, UNC1878, Gold Blackburn, Trickman, and Trickbot have been responsible for the deployment of ransomware strains… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZIX4Sak

Magnetic floating pods traveling through a series of tubes sounds like a scene from sci-fi movies, right? But what if they could become a new mode of mass transport? Yes, we’re talking about the hyperloop. One of the companies working on the tech is Hardt Hyperloop. Since 2020, the Netherlands-based startup has developed numerous prototypes and test benches. It’s also part of the European Hyperloop Center and has received €15 million in funding from the EU Commission. The company is developing hyperloop tech for passengers and cargo, enabling travel through a network of low-pressure tubes using magnetic levitation. The pods are… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IB5F7dK

Learning a new programming language can open your mind in ways you never thought possible. Just like learning a new human language like Spanish or Mandarin, you learn to think with different words and structures. You tap into the cultures and communities of the speakers and learn how they see the world. It’s enriching, to say the least. The neat thing about programming languages is that the first one you learn is always the hardest. Once you understand basic structures like if-clauses and for-loops, you’ll see them popping up in many new languages you might learn. And, unlike human languages,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mLyndOq

For the first time, a car with no human inside has driven on a public road in Europe. The feat was accomplished by Vay, a German startup. The company uses an approach called “teledriving” to remote-control cars from sites located miles away. Operators pilot the vehicles with steering wheels, petals, and monitors. They also recieve road traffic sounds via microphones and headphones. The system resembles racing simulators for video games — only the action on the screens is happening for real. Redundant mobile networks provide the data transmission. In the event of a network failures or emergency, the vehicle automatically… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MsxXU7z

No matter how beneficial increasing wind energy generation is, at the end of their lives, wind turbine blades end up in landfills. But now a major European wind turbine manufacturer — Denmark-based Vestas — has found a way to make the blades recyclable and circular. Unlike the vast majority of a turbine’s components that have established recycling circles, blade recycling has posed a serious challenge. That’s because of the presence of epoxy resin, a resilient substance that has so far proved problematic to break down into reusable components. “Until now, the wind industry has believed that turbine blade material calls… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/buli7w9

Here’s the truth: the tech industry has long had a gender imbalance problem, and it starts early. Globally, women obtain 53% of STEM university degrees, but in the EU only 34% of graduates in the field are women, according to data from Girls Go Circular. That has obvious knock-on effects. According to figures from Eurostat, women hold only 17% of major technology jobs, such as programming, systems analysis, or software development. Startup funding too poses particular challenges for women in technology. In 2021, despite a record amount of capital invested that year in Europe, women founders were on the receiving… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aidmoZz

The EU’s landmark AI Act is moving closer to reality, as a rival rulebook forms across the English Channel. The union aims to agree on draft rules for the world-first AI statute next month, Reuters reported on Monday. “We are still in good time to fulfil the overall target and calendar that we assumed in the very beginning, which is to wrap it up during this mandate,” Dragos Tudorache, an MEP and co-rapporteur of the EU AI Act, told the news agency. As the EU legislation nears enactment, lawmakers in the UK are shaping a very different approach. Their priorities are… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/UmL08li

The decline of pollinators, particularly bees, is having a grave impact on agriculture and human health. Scientists estimate that 4.7% of the world’s total production of fruit, 3.2% of vegetables, and 4.7% nuts is now lost because of inadequate pollination. But there’s hope. Researchers at Tampere University in Finland have developed a robot that could serve as an artificial pollinator. The team was inspired by dandelion seeds and tapped into the technological advances in stimuli-responsive polymers used in small, wirelessly-controlled soft-bodied robots, which can walk, swim, jump, or even hover. The result was a polymer-assembly robot that uses wind and light… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/xhWGRUi

Europe has a long tradition in geothermal energy, with Iceland, France, and Hungary historically dominating the industry. In recent years, however, a range of other countries have entered the sector. Their motivations are clear: geothermal energy is 100% renewable, endless, and reliable. And the attraction has only intensified amid the drive to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. Currently, Germany is leading the transition. At the end of 2022, the country’s government published a plan targeting a tenfold increase in geothermal output: 10TWh by 2030. “We’re sitting on a gold mine,” Christian Peltl, director of geothermal energy at SWR, the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RvsoAmz

The EU’s new green tech funding plan has sparked concerns about an escalating global subsidy race. The initiative was launched in response to the US’ Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation provides $369 billion of subsidies for green technologies, largely through tax credits for products “made in America.” The incentives have triggered fears that EU companies will be enticed to redirect investment and production to the US. Critics claim the measures amount to protectionism that violates existing trade agreements. In response to the act, the EU this week unveiled the Green Deal Industrial Plan — a roadmap to make the bloc’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/AjZqaiY

How do you set your company apart from other brands? How do you sell people a product they’re not used to? And how is all that possible without a marketing department? John Schoolcraft, Chief Creative Officer at Oatly, has an answer to all these questions. In 2012, together with CEO Toni Petersson, Schoolcraft began to transform a 30-year-old maker of oat drinks into a worldwide movement devoted to promoting a more sustainable lifestyle. We caught up with Schoolcraft at TNW 2022 and learned how Oatly created a thriving marketing strategy… without a marketing department. If you’d like to get his insights in full, check… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8s3qR16

Spain-based Iberdola has secured an environmental license from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to build a photovoltaic plant in Santiago do Cacém in Portugal. The company claims that it’s set to be Europe’s biggest solar farm and the fifth largest in the world. The solar farm, named after the poet Fernando Pessoa, will start operation in 2025 and will have an installed capacity of 1,200MW. According to Iberdola, it’ll be able to generate enough green energy to cover the needs of around 430,000 homes — equivalent to a population twice the size of the city of Porto. The facility is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/BMgH2Vh

An EV that cleans the air while driving might seem like a pipe dream , but a student team based at the Eindhoven University of Technology has made it reality. TU/ecomotive — as the team is called — has been creating inspiring, environmentally conscious concept cars for over a decade now. Among the concept vehicles presented by the students, last year’s Zem — which stands for “zero emission mobility” — is the most outstanding. It’s a passenger EV that not only paves the way towards vehicle carbon neutrality, but also cleans the air while driving, something that, in turn, reduces… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/f3BKOWH