Smart hardware system encrypts all online home devices
Created by an ad-tech industry veteran, Winston is an easy-to-install smart hardware encryption system that protects users’ online privacy. Once running, the hardware filter protects every connected device in the home. The system works with all websites, devices and streaming services, including Amazon’s Alexa, webcams, smart TVs and Wi-Fi routers. The filter protects users from…
Turning cheese waste into renewable energy
Iona Capital’s Leeming bioenergy plant and Wensleydale Creamery, makers of world-famous Wensleydale cheese, have teamed up to turn cheese waste into biogas. The Leeming plant currently operates using residue from ice cream production, and supplies biogas to around 4,000 homes in North Yorkshire. The Wensleydale Creamery produces around 4,000 tonnes of cheese each year.…
An autonomous pizza chain run by robots
Spotted: French robot-pizza chain PAZZI is opening its first location to the public this month in Montevrain, France. The concept uses three robot arms produced by Universal Robots to operate a fully autonomous restaurant about the size of a large kiosk. Shoppers order and pay for their pizza using a touchscreen, and the robot arms…
Paper containers hold liquid without getting wet
Japan-based Nippon Paper Group has designed a carton-like paper container for liquids. The material is similar to cardboard and does not get soggy when wet, according to the company. The material, known as Spops containers, is the latest in a trend of paper products targeting the plastics market. Spops containers resemble a milk carton and…
Robot crab cleans waste from ocean floor
Spotted: A team at Italy’s Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna School is testing a robot to pick up plastic trash on the ocean floor. The robot, known as the Crab Robot SILVER 2, is designed to detect plastic in the water. The robot crab can move, walk and run on the ocean floor, according to the development…
Farm waste upcycled into healthy sweeteners and supplements
Canadian food technology company Comet Bio turns farm waste into sustainably produced sweeteners and nutritional supplements. Using proprietary, two-step conversion technology, the company works with farmers to upcycle leaves and stalks leftover from traditional harvests into a variety of biomaterials. The products are used by the food and beverage and animal nutrition markets with considerable…
Tech Explained: Polar Satellites
As the name suggests, polar satellites orbit in a path that closely follows the Earth’s meridian lines, passing within 20 or 30 degrees of the North and South Poles once with each revolution. The Earth rotates to the east beneath the satellite, and the satellite monitors a narrow strip running from north to south. With each…
European Space Agency develops reusable space vehicle
Spotted: The European Space Agency (ESA) has created a transportation vehicle that can operate as a laboratory and return to Earth. The Space Rider craft is a breakthrough for scientific studies because it is “reusable,” according to the ESA. “Space Rider is Europe’s first reusable space transportation vehicle,” Jose Longo, ESA’s Space Rider Development Programme…
Energy-efficient building changes shape based on weather
Spotted: A team from the Tsinghua University School of Architecture has built a tourist reception centre that opens and closes to adapt to changes in the weather. The structure is located in Wujiazhuang, an area that will play host to the 2022 Olympics. The centre is made up of 16 irregularly-shaped concrete panels attached to…
The world’s first 3D holographic display system
Visual technology company HYPERVSN has built the world’s first 3D holographic display system. A lightweight, easy-to-install combination of hardware and software, the system brings ideas, concepts and products to fantastical, surprising life. Images appear to float in mid-air. Creators can choose from ready-made visuals in the HYPERVSN content library. Or, teams can create bespoke content…