Author: jrtrombold@gmail.com

Spotted: Artist and designer Alicja Biała used climate change statistics to shape and form six public sculptures. Titled Totemy, the nine-metre tall towers each tell a story about a different aspect of the effects of humans on the environment.  One sculpture represents the volume of plastic produced worldwide in comparison to the amount that is…

Spotted: In partnership with hacker-powered security company HackerOne, Singapore’s Government Technology (GovTech) and Cyber Security (CSA) agencies are running a one-month bug bounty programme.  From July to August 2019, some of the world’s best hackers will be stress-testing the technology behind the government’s online public services. Bug bounty projects are industry-best practices that focus on…

Spotted: Researchers at two German universities have developed technology to help pilots land planes safely at small airports. The vision-assisted system makes it possible for pilots to land at airports that lack ground-based systems.  Currently, pilots have to manually land planes at smaller airports. Unlike larger airports, smaller airports lack the ground-based systems that autopilot…

Although it sounds like the start of an apocalyptic thriller movie, robot process automation (RPA) is actually a technology that allows anyone to configure computer software (the robot) to copy the actions of a human. RPA is generally used to mimic human actions and automate a wide variety of repetitive tasks.  So, how does RPA…

Spotted: A team of researchers at Stanford University, led by electrical engineer Gordon Wetzstein, has developed a pair of glasses called autofocals. They offer a high-tech solution to age-induced eyesight problems.   The prototype glasses contain fluid-filled lenses that bulge out and thin as the field of vision changes. They use eye-tracking sensors to triangulate where a…

Spotted: A new mini-program for Chinese fintech application Alipay helps users in Shanghai sort their rubbish. This follows Shanghai’s new, strict rules on waste-sorting, with high fines for those who do not use the correct bins.  Alipay users can log into the Garbage Sorting Guidelines mini-app, type of their queries or take a photo of…

Spotted: New Zealand Merino Company and T&R Interior Systems are using strong wool to create 3D acoustic panels (or tiles) that are renewable and 100 percent biodegradable. The product, called Floc 3D, is manufactured in New Zealand with local wool, which also reduces the carbon miles in their creation. “It is a product that has…

Spotted: Swiss candy and snack maker Nestlé is now using a recyclable paper wrapper with one of its products. The recently launched line of Yes! snack bars is the first to use a paper wrapper developed with high-speed flow wrap technology, the company says. The method most commonly used to wrap snack bars only works…

Spotted: A Brazilian designer Marcio Sequeira has built the Mola structural kit to intuitively understand the foundations of structural behaviour. The kit consists of modular pieces that allow users to understand concepts like cable behaviour, suspension bridges and cable-net systems. They can also purchase additional adjustable length bars and lightweight connections for more precision in…

Spotted: Swedish firms Wallgren Arkitekter and BOX Bygg have developed a design tool that automatically generates floor plans. Finch 3D allows architects to easily evaluate a site’s potential, according to the creators. Finch 3D is a parametric design tool – architects enter a site’s parameters and Finch 3D generates floor plans. Wallgren Arkitekter Co-founder Pamela Wallgren said…