ShinyShiny snippets: Nissan working with NASA on ‘game-changing’ batteries
Nissan is working with NASA on a new type of battery for electric vehicles that promises to charge quicker and be lighter yet safe, the Japanese automaker said Friday. The all-solid-state battery (ASSB) will replace the lithium-ion battery now in use for a 2028 product launch and a pilot plant launch in 2024, according to Nissan. The all-solid-state battery is stable enough to be used in pacemakers. When finished, it will be about half the size of the current battery and fully charge in 15 minutes, instead of a few hours. The collaboration with the U.S. space program, as well as the University of California San Diego, involves the testing of various materials, Corporate Vice President Kazuhiro Doi told reporters. Yahoo!
Google has announced that it will be limiting outdated apps in its Play Store. From the start of November, all apps on the platform will have to maintain a modern API level within two years of the latest major Android release. “Every new Android version introduces changes that bring security and performance improvements as well as enhance the user experience of Android overall”, Google explains. “Each app has a targetSdkVersion in the manifest file (also known as the target API level) which informs how your app is run on different Android versions.” If apps do not meet this level, Google will start placing restrictions on how users are able to search for them or install them on their phones and tablets. Independent
It is the weight of an elephant, can move like a crab and in a previous life was reviled by environmentalists. The Hummer, that avatar of gas-guzzling machismo, has returned as an electric vehicle with an unlikely billing as an ally in the effort to avert the worsening climate crisis. The reincarnation of the hulking pickup truck, test-driven by the Guardian in the searing heat of Arizona, has been lauded by manufacturer General Motors (GM) as proof that electric vehicles (EVs) can now reach even middle America’s most obdurate devotees of supersized car culture. GM hopes to crush, under a brawny Hummer wheel, the notion that green cars must look like a Prius. “We want to turn EV skeptics into EV believers,” said Mikhael Farah, a GM spokesperson. The Guardian
Allegations of Chinese cyber activity as the recent conflict broke out in Ukraine have been emerging. The details appear unusually murky but one Western intelligence official believes the aim was espionage – and the cyber-attack may have been broader than previously reported. The Times first reported that hackers, alleged to be based in China, began targeting Ukrainian websites on 23 February, the day before the invasion. That led to questions as to whether they had advance notice of Moscow’s plans and if their intention was somehow to support Russia. A broad set of Ukrainian government and commercial organisations were said to have been targeted by hackers, including organisations linked to nuclear power. BBC
Researchers have reversed ageing in human skin cells by 30 years, according to a new study. While findings are still in the early stages, they could revolutionise regenerative medicine, especially if it can be replicated in other cell types. Scientists in the study, published in eLife, said they developed a method to time jump human skin cells by three decades, rewinding the ageing clock without cells losing their function. Researchers were able to partly restore the function of older cells, as well as renew the biological age. In experiments that simulated a skin wound, the partially rejuvenated cells showed signs of behaving more like youthful cells. Sky News
