John Smeddle

Just One Parting Shot Before I Leave, Elon

Twitter releases its final tweet One of the definitions of a successful brand is that the people who use it tend to think of it as their own. There was a famous occasion when Burger King didn’t make their iconic Whopper for one day. When people ordered it and were told it wasn’t being made […]

Arizona Semiconductor Factory Delay Caused by Worker Shortage

The Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC) has delayed the operational start of its first microprocessor factory in Arizona by a year. This is due to a shortage of skilled workers. The skill required to oversee the manufacturing process is highly specialised and the company foresees the need to train American workers to supplement the skilled Taiwanese […]

Barbie vs. Oppenheimer:  A True Clash of the Titans

It’s An Even Match “Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the most keenly anticipated contest in many a month. It’s the clash of the titans, the big weekend heavyweight knockdown featuring Mr. Atomic himself, Oppenheimer, in the one corner. And in the other, looking devastating in pink, heeeeeeeere’s Barbie! “Joining me ringside here […]

AI Finally Gets Security Council’s Attention

The fifteen-member United Nations Security Council sat on Tuesday to talk about Artificial Intelligence. This was the first time we find the UN discussing AI. In fact, it’s the first time a multi-regional conference has been held about the mounting concerns of this powerful technology.  AI is about to become “a runaway horse”, according to […]

Earth to Humans: Thanks a lot, Jack

Technology Impact Ushers in New Geological Epoch It’s called Anthropocene and it marks the end of the 11,700 year old Holecene epoch. Please don’t assume there’s a celebratory tone in this article. Because there’ll be now a layer of rock which carries traces of Plutonium, the radioactive element used to manufacture nuclear weapons. An historical […]

No More Daily Jabs for Diabetics

Biotech Company Fractyl Health is testing a gene therapy which won’t require daily or multiple injections for Type 2 Diabetes. The concept behind this hoped-for breakthrough is to replicate the current treatments Ozempic and Wegovy, but as a once-off jab which will last for years. The aim is to lower blood sugar and weight like […]

The Democratization of the EV Has Arrived

A new battery coating for EVs will decrease prices and increase longevity A research laboratory sponsored by the US Department of Energy has developed a new polymer coating which will almost certainly change the EV manufacturing industry. Rather than merely protect the battery, the coating is conductive for both electrons and ions, giving the battery […]

du and Huawei aim for net zero

The customer-facing name of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, du, is making headlines again as a model corporate citizen. In collaboration with Huawei, the UAE’s challenger telco brand is upgrading diesel generators to significantly reduce carbon footprint. Despite some network problems that dogged its introduction in 2007 as a competitor to Etisalat, du has evolved as […]

Biden Opens up the Taps for Clean Energy

In either a blitzkrieg of sustainability guilt or laying the foundation of a political legacy prior to next year’s elections, the White House has ramped up its clean energy plans.   Firstly, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), of which clean energy is a central pillar, has claimed its first, err, victim. Namely, Europe. Norwegian manufacturer […]

Oxford and Cambridge Turn to AI for Teaching

The two most iconic education institutions in the world, in fact the 24 leading UK universities that make up the Russell Group, are to install generative AI as a learning tool. They’ve recognised the power of tools such as ChatGPT to assist in research and now endorse, within ethical boundaries, their use in lecture halls […]