Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) announced that US$25.3 billion (RMB168.2 billion) of gross merchandise volume (GMV) was settled through Alipay on November 11, 2017, (Single’s Day) an increase of 39% compared to 2016. Mobile GMV settled through Alipay accounted for 90% of total GMV. The most recent quarter Alibaba’s revenue surged by 61 percent thanks …
Airbus has set itself a goal of having a serialized production Urban Air Mobility (UAM) system ready for testing in a major city as early as 2023. The company is investing in two UAM research programs, CityAirbus, being developed in Europe by Airbus Helicopters under the group’s chief technology office (CTO), and the Vahana being …
Globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 54 per cent of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2014. By 2050, 66 per cent of the world’s population is projected to be urban. The world will need to shift to a focus on the degree of urbanization. There will …
A team of University of Washington computer scientists and electrical engineers has demonstrated that it’s possible to generate Wi-Fi transmissions using 10,000 times less power than conventional methods. The new Passive Wi-Fi system also consumes 1,000 times less power than existing energy-efficient wireless communication platforms, such as Bluetooth Low Energy and Zigbee. A paper describing …
The US Seawolf class submarines are special. They are newer, bigger, faster and more heavily armed than standard attack submarines, the nearly $3-billion-per-copy Seawolfs have been fitted with hundreds of millions of dollars in unique equipment and are assigned to their own special squadron in Washington State. The US Navy has installed high-frequency sonar for …
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) had their 2016 symposium on August 23-25, 2016. Further Development of Aperture: A Precise Extremely Large Reflective Telescope Using Re-configurable Elements; Melville Ulmer, Northwestern University This will work will make large deployable and adjustable space mirrors. From about 28 minutes to 47 minutes in the video Brian WangBrian Wang is …
DARPA’s Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program aims to remove limitations around the number of swarming drones and enable more complex operations with new algorithms and software for existing unmanned aircraft that would extend mission capabilities and improve U.S. forces’ ability to conduct operations in denied or contested airspace. CODE researchers seek to create …
University of Tokyo researchers have developed an ultrathin, ultraflexible, protective layer and demonstrated its use by creating an air-stable, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. This technology will enable creation of electronic skin (e-skin) displays of blood oxygen level, e-skin heart rate sensors for athletes and many other applications. Integrating electronic devices with the human body …
In a first for Japan, Tokyo police will deploy a net-carrying drone to capture unmanned aerial vehicles unlawfully flying over important sites in the capital. The Metropolitan Police Department’s unit in charge of patrolling the Diet building, the prime minister’s office, the Imperial Palace and other significant locations in Tokyo will be equipped with the …
Researchers are studying the unique swimming techniques of a simply designed yet highly maneuverable jellyfish-like creature in order to inspire designs for underwater vehicles of the future. Dubbed Nanomia bijuga, it’s a member of the siphonophores, a group of gelatinous planktonic creatures that are related to jellyfish, anemones and coral. Similar to coral, the two-inch …
Let us consider a scenario beyond complete genetic sequencing of zygotes and optimal selection of embryos. Advanced CRISPR gene sequencing seems likely to enable complete genome sequencing. Robotic automation with nanoscale control could enable genome sequencing to be very inexpensive. Tens of billions to trillions of dollars will be gained by the companies that compete …