The UK's public spending watchdog is investigating the troubled transfer of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) to Capita. In a notice, the National Audit Office (NAO) said problems had persisted since the outsourcer took over administration in December 2025. The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the seven-year £239 million contract in November 2023, allowing two years to prepare for the transition. The scheme serves 1.5 million current and former public servants. "Key service levels have been repeatedly missed, leaving many members struggling to access the information they need to plan for their retirement," the NAO said. Capita promised AI and automation, but the takeover brought a glitchy online portal, while some members struggled to receive pension payments. Capita missed its deadline to restore normal service by the end of June. It subsequently told MPs that all but the most complex cases would return to normal service by September. Responding to the investigation, Capita said it "accepts that performance remains below the standards that scheme members and the Government rightly expect" and that fixing the problems was its top priority. Scheme members interviewed by the BBC last month described feeling upset, frustrated, and ignored, with some waiting months for payments. One woman had been waiting six months for her widow's pension after her husband died in March. Capita said it would cooperate with parliamentary and regulatory investigations, and continue to engage fully and transparently with the NAO, Cabinet Office, and relevant stakeholders. "Capita recognises the need for continued service improvement, and we are implementing further automation along with stronger governance including improved management information. This will continue to improve operational output and member experience," it said. ®

Palantir's newly appointed UK senior vice president Tom Watson has accused Labour MP Clive Lewis of making "incorrect claims" about the company – while repeating NHS performance figures that the statistics regulator has said require careful caveats. Watson, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, advised Palantir from 2024 before joining it full-time last month. He now works alongside Louis Mosley, the company's executive vice president for the UK and Europe. His letter to Lewis was reported by The Nerve after the MP discussed it at the Labour Party conference this week. Watson challenged Lewis's statements about Palantir's UK contracts in healthcare, policing, and defense. Lewis said the level of detail in the letter felt like a message that "we're watching you." Palantir's Gotham or Foundry software would not have been needed to compile the dossier: Watson cited statements made in Parliament, written questions, interviews, opinion pieces, and social media. Watson also described Palantir as a major UK investor and said its software had helped convict a gang stealing money from ATMs, support victims of domestic abuse, and improve the availability of Royal Navy vessels. In rebutting what he described as misinformation, Watson said the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) was live at 142 trusts and that "137 are already reporting benefits." The broad claim echoes figures promoted by NHS England, which the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) subsequently told to communicate the platform's purported benefits more carefully. Following complaints about NHS England's use of data to promote the FDP, the OSR noted that the health service had added a caveat to its published figures on June 6: "We cannot therefore draw conclusions about cause and effect as other variables have not been controlled for." NHS England also updated its methodology and agreed to identify before-and-after comparisons more clearly in public communications. The OSR asked to be kept informed of its progress. Watson's letter did not include that caveat. Data obtained by campaign group Foxglove illustrated why the qualification matters. NHS England said an Inpatient Care Co-ordination Solution based on the FDP was associated with 111,589 additional patients undergoing procedures in operating theatres. Of the 41 trusts using the tool, however, 13 reported carrying out fewer operations after its introduction. Other factors – including staffing, case complexity, and bed capacity – could have affected those results in either direction. Foxglove also found that Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust accounted for 84 percent of the reported fall in outpatient waiting lists across the 16 trusts using the relevant tool. Watson may therefore want to apply the same scrutiny to the figures he deploys when accusing others of misinformation. The Register asked Palantir to comment. ®

Sopra Steria has expanded its legal challenge to a major UK government contract award after obtaining an unredacted copy of the agreement between Capita and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The company alleges that previously undisclosed terms gave Capita preferential treatment, reduced the outsourcer's exposure to risk, and left the DWP carrying more of it. One clause could allow the department to fund technology needed to compensate for deficiencies in Capita's tender, Sopra Steria claims. Capita values the deal at £370 million, although government documents put its potential value as high as £873.4 million. Sopra Steria has been challenging the award since March, alleging that the DWP accepted an "abnormally low" bid based on staffing numbers "significantly below the current levels." The dispute concerns a contract to provide finance, payroll, HR, procurement, and other shared services across four government departments. Capita, which is also responsible for the troubled transfer of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, beat incumbent provider Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), a former joint venture with the UK government that is now wholly owned by French-headquartered systems integrator Sopra Steria. At the time of the award, Capita said it had participated in a robust procurement process and was ready to deliver value for money. The DWP maintained that it had conducted a fair competition and that the deal represented value for the public. The DWP leads the Synergy shared services program, which is intended to put the DWP, Ministry of Justice, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Home Office onto a common SaaS ERP and HR platform with shared business processes. All four departments are defendants in the case. Oracle and IBM previously secured a £711 million deal covering the ERP software and systems integration. Synergy forms part of a wider program to move central government departments and arm's-length bodies onto cloud-based shared services, creating contracts worth about £1.7 billion for technology suppliers. Sopra Steria said the DWP agreed to a Project Change Clause allowing the department to amend the contract to "expand Capita's technology base and/or otherwise compensate for the deficiencies in Capita's tender." Sopra Steria alleged that the provision reduced Capita's exposure, cutting "the contingency that Capita may otherwise have needed to price into its tender" and providing "a means for Capita to boost its margin despite its abnormally low tendered price." It further alleged that responsibilities assumed by the DWP allowed Capita to bid on the basis of a contract that "has a materially reduced level of risk borne by Capita but a materially greater level of risk borne by the [DWP]." Sopra Steria argued that, across a number of the responsibilities accepted by the DWP in the contract, the same or equivalent terms were not offered to Sopra Steria. The DWP denied treating the bidders differently. It said each received equal time and opportunity to negotiate, and that when they raised the same question or request, both were given the same response. General clarifications were shared with both bidders, the department said, while concessions secured through negotiation were disclosed only to the bidder that requested them. Any differences therefore related to the particular points raised by Capita rather than unequal treatment, it argued. A DWP spokesperson said: "We don't comment on live legal proceedings." A spokesperson at Capita told The Register: "We took part in a robust procurement process and stand ready to work with the DUP to ensure a smooth transition of service. Our priority remains to ensure value for money for the public." The filings also highlight competing descriptions of the contract's value. In March, Capita said the deal was worth £370 million over ten years, including all extension periods. That figure was its IFRS 15 transaction price, or order-book value, and excluded change and expansion services expected during the contract. The DWP said it had no record of approving Capita's announcement and denied Sopra Steria's allegation that the agreed price remained unclear. According to the department's filing, the estimated undiscounted value is £606.6 million over the initial seven-year term and £873.4 million over the maximum ten years, including estimated projects and optional services. It stressed that Capita has no automatic entitlement to that additional work. ®

Singapore’s digital transformation agency, GovTech, is piloting a dating app. GovTech says the app came about after discussions among its staff, who apparently “shared an interest in exploring some of the challenges people can face when meeting someone new.” “They wondered whether a different approach that places greater emphasis on compatibility through values and preferences, and offers fewer matches at a time, could give users more space to consider each introduction and decide whether they would like to take the next step.” The staffers took those ideas to GovTech’s annual hackathon, and the result was “FirstDate,” billed as “An initiative to support singles aged 21-35 in their dating journey.” The app asks users to complete a questionnaire that GovTech says “covers users' interests, habits, values and preferences to curate matches based on compatibility.” “Once completed, leave the matching to us,” the agency urges. That’s not strictly true because the app applies the Gale-Shapley Stable Matching algorithm, a method that imagines a group of people hoping to pair off in some way. In the 1962 paper [PDF] that proposes the algorithm, the authors offer the following scenario: “A certain community consists of n men and n women. Each person ranks those of the opposite sex in accordance with his or her preferences for a marriage partner. We seek a satisfactory way of marrying off all members of the community … if under it there are a man and a woman who are not married to each other but prefer each other to their actual mates.” The algorithm aims to produce stable relationships by sifting all participants’ preferences to find viable couples. It’s not perfect, by any means, but is widely used in economics. Readers who imagine that algorithmic matching can’t replace the mysteries of romance may wish to note that the OECD ranks Singaporean high school students as the world’s second-most proficient at mathematics. GovTech, however, allows that the algorithm can’t “guarantee chemistry or a match leading to a relationship.” The app operates on a 72-hour cycle, during which users will see info about one person the algorithm suggests they might find interesting. If both participants agree, the app reveals contact details. “Take it from there, reach out and get chatting!” GovTech urges. “If you do meet up, try our Date Quests to break the ice.” Date Quests are suggested activities for a first date. For now, the app is only available to single members of Singapore’s civil service. There’s no word on when or if Singapore might decide on wider release and take on Tinder. GovTech’s most famous app before FirstDate was probably TraceTogether, which used smartphones’ Bluetooth radios to track people during the COVID-19 pandemic in the hope of identifying people who had been exposed to the virus. Singaporean authorities used the app to contact those at risk of infection, and requred them to enter isolation to slow the spread of the virus. TraceTogether, and similar apps deployed around the world, mostly flopped. It’s unclear why Singapore has decided to test this app however one of the island nation’s five shared values is “Family as the basic unit of society.” That’s more than a platitude: a program called Made for Families offers grants to purchase housing, funding for pre-natal care, and tax rebates for parents. Those incentives haven’t prevented Singapore’s birth rate from falling to record lows. Singapore is not the first jurisdiction to try this sort of thing: the City of Tokyo did likewise in 2024. ®

La inteligencia artificial está permitiendo avances biomédicos impensables. El análisis de la expresión genética en sangre de pacientes con esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA) mediante estas tecnologías han revelado una firma molecular única para la enfermedad, independiente del Parkinson y del Alzheimer. La importancia de este hallazgo radica en su viabilidad clínica: a partir de complejos datos biológicos permite descubrir genes específicos que actúan como potenciales biomarcadores de diagnóstico.

El conocimiento actual sobre los mecanismos celulares y moleculares que intervienen en la cicatrización de heridas todavía es limitado. Los resultados de una investigación sobre estos mecanismos muestran que el proceso es más complejo de lo que se creía, ya que involucra la interacción de células, genes, sistema nervioso y microbiota y aún presenta importantes incógnitas en caso de heridas crónicas, o cicatrices patológicas. Estos hallazgos refuerzan la necesidad de nuevas terapias adaptadas a los distintos problemas de cicatrización.

La reducción de peso en los vehículos es una prioridad global para disminuir las emisiones de CO2 y mejorar la eficiencia energética. Un nuevo estudio evalúa el uso de tecnologías de moldeo por inyección microcelular combinadas con fibras largas de vidrio para obtener espumas de polipropileno, componentes plásticos más ligeros que tienen una rigidez superior a los materiales convencionales y reducen el impacto ambiental en un 17 %.

The UK government’s decision to move the Government Digital Service (GDS) — responsible for creating digital services across the public sector — to its third departmental home in three years risks hemorrhaging talent and moving it further away from the center of power, MPs heard this week. The GDS “fell into a bit of a fray” during the reorganization ordered by incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s team, according to Laura Gilbert, former director of data science at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's office. She told the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee: “It's difficult to know whether somebody won that fight and therefore won GDS, or it was more incidental and it was played off against something else. I was genuinely quite surprised by it.” The GDS was formed in 2011 under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition to help bring public services online. It sat within the Cabinet Office until Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister for Labour in 2024, when it moved to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In January 2025, the government merged the GDS with the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), which led the digital, data and technology function of government and was responsible for strategy and standards. In the most recent government re-organization since Andy Burnham took over as Prime Minister, the GDS has moved to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It falls within the remit of Stephanie Peacock, Parliamentary under-secretary for sport, tourism, place and digital Government. Gilbert, who left Downing Street in 2005 to take roles in Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and Larry Ellison’s Institute of Technology, told MPs the GDS was initially “significantly disempowered” when it moved to DSIT. “I was surprised to see it being moved further away [from the center of government], given how important digital delivery is to the government's agenda.” The GDS has become responsible for centralized spend controls on all large-scale government digital and IT projects. Although departments are responsible for making projects happen, they had to seek GDS sign off on major software or hardware procurement. Gilbert said that in the last move from the Cabinet Office to DSIT, there was a struggle to understand where the decisions take place and a failure to take into account “expert leadership” in technology who might understand the knock-on effects. “As far as I'm aware, there wasn't a conversation with the senior leadership of those teams that were actually moved,” she said. Meanwhile, any shift can be demoralizing for technology teams, adding to the risk individuals will leave. Gilbert told MPs: “You take a bunch of teams who are trying to do something, and you say to them, ‘right, what we're going to do is we're going to put you in a different building… we haven't decided which one... you're going to have a new email address… we haven't set up the servers yet. There's going to be a new office somewhere, and it's definitely going to be a bun fight of who can get themselves into the best office. And we're not totally sure what your remit is. There's probably a hiring freeze… and you don't know who your political sponsorship is anymore’. People are dissatisfied. They start looking for jobs in other departments. They start looking for jobs outside, and of course, the best people find those jobs very quickly." Also giving evidence to the Committee, Alex Thomas, Executive Director, Institute for Government, said: “There's been some concern in GDS about moving to DSIT originally, but [it] had established itself actually and… had found quite a successful home. Now moving that around again is risky. My main worry is of diffusion of responsibilities and the kind of grinding of gears that's going to be required to make that work.” While the GDS has been moved from DSIT to the DCMS, responsibility for AI implementation and policy has been given to Kanishka Narayan, who gets the Cabinet-attending role of Minister for Artificial Intelligence, working jointly in the Cabinet Office and BIST. In a letter to the Committee, ministers from the Cabinet Office, BIST and the DCMS said: “The Prime Minister has made a number of changes to the Machinery of Government to rewire the state to deliver a stronger, more strategic center which acts as the engine room for driving economic growth across the whole country. These changes include transforming how the Government is structured to approach science, innovation, and technology. This reflects that the UK stands at a critical juncture where unprecedented global changes demand that we secure our position as a world leader in AI, science and technology. In this context, we cannot see science and technology as an isolated issue, limited to one department.” ®

Hyundai quiere cambiar cómo aprende la conducción autónoma: no se trata solo de acumular kilómetros, sino de localizar maniobras y situaciones poco comunes capaces de enseñar más a la IA y alimentar nuevas versiones del software.

The iPhone Duo status icon introduces a new approach to information that has occupied the top edge of the iPhone display for nearly two decades. Instead of treating Wi-Fi, cellular signal, battery status, and other indicators as a conventional horizontal row, Apple has created a flexible circular system that sits in the corner of the foldable iPhone’s display.

Apple officially describes the feature as a “circular, flexible system” within the status bar rather than one fixed icon containing every piece of information at all times. The distinction is useful: the area can adapt according to context while consolidating status information into a smaller visual region.

It is part of a much larger rethink of iOS 27 specifically for iPhone Duo. The foldable device changes the proportions available to software, particularly when its 7.6-inch inner display is open, forcing Apple to reconsider interface elements that have traditionally stretched horizontally across an iPhone screen.

The status system is one of the smallest changes visually, but it illustrates how extensively Apple has adapted iOS around the new hardware.

iPhone Duo status icon replaces the traditional horizontal approach

Conventional iPhones distribute system information across the upper portion of the display. Cellular strength, network type, Wi-Fi connectivity, and battery status typically occupy space around the camera hardware and Dynamic Island.

iPhone Duo approaches that area differently.

Apple says its circular status system nestles into the corner of the screen and presents relevant information including Wi-Fi, cellular strength, battery status, and more. Rather than requiring a long horizontal strip, those indicators can occupy a compact area that works with the device’s unusual screen geometry.

The change is closely connected to the way iPhone Duo handles controls throughout iOS 27.

Apple has moved several interface elements to the side of the display. App navigation, toolbars, the Home Screen Dock, and some Lock Screen controls can use vertical space instead of occupying the familiar horizontal regions found on other iPhones.

The status system therefore becomes part of a vertical interface column rather than an isolated redesign.

This arrangement lets content use more of the display’s height while keeping frequently referenced system information visible. It also creates a consistent location for status details as users change how they hold or fold the device.

A flexible status system suits a foldable iPhone

A foldable phone presents an interface problem that a traditional slab-shaped iPhone does not have.

iPhone Duo can operate through its 5.4-inch outer display or its substantially larger 7.6-inch inner screen. The device can be opened completely, partially folded, rotated, or positioned like a small book.

A static status bar designed around one screen size and orientation would be less effective across those configurations.

Apple instead built iOS 27 so that interface elements can move as the physical device changes. Content reacts to folding, controls relocate, and layouts adjust around the hinge and available screen area.

Apple’s developer guidance provides additional detail about this philosophy. On iPhone Duo, navigation and toolbar controls share vertical space with system elements such as the status bar and Live Activities. When available room becomes limited, application controls can collapse into an overflow menu.

That makes the circular status area part of an adaptive system rather than a cosmetic flourish.

Developers do not need to manually reproduce the status treatment inside their apps. Apple’s standard interface frameworks handle much of the adaptation, especially when applications use native navigation, toolbar, and tab-bar components.

Dynamic Island also moves to the side

The status area is not the only familiar piece of iPhone interface that changes position on iPhone Duo.

Apple has redesigned Dynamic Island so that it can sit vertically along the side of both the outer and inner displays. It can expand from that position to present alerts and Live Activities.

The relationship between Dynamic Island and the new circular status system is particularly interesting because Apple now has two dynamic interface areas operating along the same side of the screen.

One communicates persistent device information such as network and battery status. The other handles temporary activity, alerts, and live information.

Apple’s developer documentation refers to this section as shared vertical space. Application controls may also occupy it, meaning iOS has to continuously decide how much room is available and which elements deserve priority.

That is a major departure from the long-standing assumption that the upper corners of an iPhone screen simply contain a predictable row of small status symbols.

On Duo, those regions have become active parts of the interface layout.

Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery remain immediately recognizable

Consolidating status information creates a design challenge: efficiency cannot come at the expense of readability.

Users have spent years learning the meanings of Apple’s individual status symbols. Cellular bars indicate signal strength, the Wi-Fi symbol communicates wireless connectivity, and the battery icon provides an immediate indication of remaining power.

Apple has not discarded those familiar concepts.

Instead, the circular system changes how and where information is presented. The familiar status categories remain present while the container around them becomes more adaptable.

This is particularly useful on a device with two displays. Users should not need to relearn the meaning of basic connectivity information when moving from the outer screen to the inner display.

The same reasoning applies when iPhone Duo changes orientation. Apple can reorganize the status area without changing the fundamental visual vocabulary behind Wi-Fi, cellular, or battery information.

iPhone Duo pushes the status bar beyond a fixed strip

The new design suggests a different direction for one of the oldest pieces of smartphone interface.

Status bars traditionally behave like reserved strips of screen space. Applications work around them, and their icons occupy predictable positions regardless of what is happening elsewhere.

iPhone Duo turns that space into something more fluid.

The circular system can coexist with a vertical Dynamic Island, changing application controls, Live Activities, and layouts that respond to the physical position of the foldable display. It becomes another component that iOS can arrange rather than a fixed row placed permanently along an edge.

There is no indication that Apple plans to bring the same circular status treatment unchanged to conventional iPhones. Its current implementation is specifically tied to iPhone Duo and the interface requirements created by the foldable hardware.

Still, the design provides a glimpse at how Apple can rethink even deeply established iPhone conventions when the shape of the device changes. When iPhone Duo reaches customers on October 23, the small circular area in the corner will be one of the most immediately visible examples: cellular strength, Wi-Fi, battery information, and other system details occupying a shared adaptive space instead of stretching across the display.

The post iPhone Duo status icon combines Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery information appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Doorbell firm aims to replace WhatsApp or Facebook groups with platform where people can post about safety or lost pets

Amazon’s doorbell camera maker Ring is to launch its Neighbours community app in the UK in an attempt to supplant neighbourhood WhatsApp or Facebook groups.

The service is intended as a modern equivalent of a community message board, where neighbours can post about safety, community matters or lost pets.

Continue reading...

© Composite: Ring

© Composite: Ring

© Composite: Ring

Volvo Safety Coach representa un cambio profundo en la seguridad del automóvil. Desde el cinturón de tres puntos de 1959 hasta sensores, software y datos de conducción, la protección pasa de actuar durante el accidente a intentar anticiparse al riesgo.

Global Technology said it will accept subscriptions from retail investors for two days starting Sept. 16.

Global Technology is scheduled to list on the KOSDAQ on Sept. 29. Following five trading days of bookbuilding with institutional investors starting Sept. 7, the company finalized its offering price at 10,000 won on Sept. 15.

"Our fundamental technological capabilities and earnings growth potential remain unchanged," Global Technology said. The company has low-power, constant-current time-division driving technology that reduces the number of driver integrated circuits (ICs) required while maintaining the same image quality. Cumulative IC sales have exceeded 200 million units.

Global Technology is a fabless semiconductor company. It develops and supplies both ICs and modules. The company also mass-produces module-level products, including display modules and backlight units (BLUs) for automotive customers. Revenue reached 28.8 billion won in the first half of this year, approaching its full-year revenue of 29.7 billion won last year. The company also swung to a profit of 1.155 billion won.

The company said it has also minimized the potential overhang. Shares available for trading immediately after Global Technology's listing will account for 22.19% of its total shares. The remaining 77.81% will be subject to lock-up periods ranging from one month to as long as four years. That compares with 37% for fabless company Haechitech, which listed last month.

"We minimized the number of shares available for trading on the listing date to protect investors," Global Technology CEO Kim Min-sun said. "After the listing, we will drive corporate value by delivering tangible results through diversification of next-generation mobility products."

Rebellions said on Sept. 16 it will supply racks to Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company ai&’s data center. The company plans to expand the supply to more than 100 units.

Rebellions will deploy its heterogeneous infrastructure system “REBELRack” at ai&’s data center. An initial batch will be installed at ai&’s Tokyo data center, with additional units to follow. Rebellions declined to disclose the volume or contract value, citing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) with the customer.

Heterogeneous infrastructure combines different computing devices, including neural processing units (NPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs). Rebellions will provide ai&’s data center with a heterogeneous infrastructure solution focused on power efficiency and lower operating costs.

REBELRack is Rebellions’ fully integrated rack-scale AI infrastructure. It supports the open-source frameworks used by ai&, allowing the system to be deployed without a large-scale infrastructure transition. Rebellions expects the system to begin operating at ai&’s data center on the day of delivery.

The system supports up to 32 Rebellions accelerator cards and eight AMD EPYC 9355 CPUs. It has 6 terabytes of DDR5 system memory and delivers 64 petaflops (PFLOPS) of performance using 8-bit floating-point (FP8) operations.

Rebellions said a configuration of 100 REBELRack units would have maximum power consumption of 2.8 megawatts (MW) for the rack equipment alone. The company did not disclose when delivery of all 100 units would be completed. ai& plans to build out its data center to a capacity of 40 MW by the end of 2027.

SK hynix workers approved a revised 2026 wage and collective bargaining agreement in a union vote, three weeks after the first tentative agreement was rejected by a margin of 25 votes. The deal was reached after raising the cash portion of performance bonuses to 50%.

The revised agreement was approved with 8,731 votes, or 57.08%, in a two-day vote held by SK hynix's Icheon and Cheongju union from Sept. 15, according to results released Sept. 16. Of 16,039 eligible members, 15,297 voted, for a turnout of 95.37%.

The basic payout ratio for the company's profit-sharing (PS) bonus was adjusted to 50% cash and 50% stock. The first agreement called for 40% in cash and 60% in stock. The revised deal also gives employees the option to convert the cash portion into stock in increments of 10 percentage points.

Deferred portions of performance bonuses calculated based on last year's results that had been scheduled for payment next year and the following year will also be paid earlier. Single-parent households were added to the eligibility for additional housing loan support, which previously covered married households. The broader framework of the previous agreement, including a 6.3% wage increase and the deferral of a portion of wages in the event of losses, was maintained.

The first tentative agreement was rejected in an all-employee union vote on Aug. 25, with 7,535 votes, or 50.08%, against and 7,510 votes, or 49.92%, in favor. Labor and management then held about two weeks of additional negotiations and reached the revised agreement on Sept. 9.

SK hynix and the union will hold a signing ceremony for the final agreement before the Chuseok holiday, completing this year's wage and collective bargaining process.

"We thank the labor union and our employees for working with us through this difficult process," SK hynix said. "We will continue to work together as a company and employees to address and overcome the challenges we face."

CANreduce 3.0 es una plataforma digital diseñada para ayudar a personas que desean reducir o abandonar el consumo de cannabis. La herramienta combina el registro del consumo, contenidos terapéuticos basados en la evidencia y un asistente conversacional con inteligencia artificial. Además, facilita el seguimiento clínico mediante informes automáticos para profesionales. Su desarrollo muestra cómo las tecnologías digitales pueden mejorar el acceso y la continuidad de la atención en adicciones.

Xiaomi has introduced the Mijia Smart Humidity and Temperature Meter 3 Pro, a new indoor monitoring device that expands beyond basic temperature and humidity tracking by adding carbon dioxide (CO₂) detection.

The device is now listed through Xiaomi’s retail channels, with crowdfunding scheduled to begin on September 21 at 10:00 AM, positioning it as a compact smart home monitoring device for everyday indoor use. Its regular suggested retail price is 149 yuan, while early crowdfunding backers can purchase it for 114 yuan.

CO₂ Monitoring Is the Major Upgrade

The biggest change compared with the previous generation is the addition of real-time CO₂ concentration monitoring.

Xiaomi says the new meter uses a next-generation low-power thermal-conductivity CO₂ sensor from Sensirion. It can continuously measure indoor carbon dioxide levels and communicate the current air-quality status through a three-color indicator.

This gives the device a more practical role in everyday indoor monitoring. Instead of simply showing whether a room is hot, cold, dry or humid, it can also help users notice when ventilation may need attention.

Larger 3.6-Inch Display Shows More Information

The Mi Home Smart Humidity and Temperature Meter 3 Pro features a 3.6-inch LCD display, along with a slimmer-bezel design compared with the previous model.

The screen can show several types of information, including:

• CO₂ concentration
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Date
• Day of the week
• Time

Users can switch between different display layouts with a single action, allowing the screen to be configured around the information they want to see most often.

Works With Xiaomi’s Smart Home Ecosystem

The new meter is also designed to work as part of a connected smart home rather than operating as an isolated sensor.

It supports Xiaomi mijia smart-home integration and can connect with other compatible devices through a Bluetooth Mesh gateway. Temperature, humidity and CO₂ readings can be used as triggers for automated actions.

For example, users can configure a CO₂ threshold in the Mi Home App. When the measured level reaches the configured limit, a compatible smart speaker can automatically issue a voice reminder.

This makes the sensor more useful in rooms where users want automatic notifications instead of having to check the display manually.

Historical Data Can Be Viewed in the App

After pairing the meter with the Mi Home App and a compatible Bluetooth Mesh gateway, measurement data can be synchronized to the cloud.

The app can then generate historical curves showing changes in temperature and humidity, as well as CO₂ concentration, making it easier to track indoor environmental trends over time. This allows users to look beyond a single reading and identify longer-term changes in indoor conditions.

For example, a user could compare CO₂ levels at different times of day or observe how ventilation affects the readings over several days.

Flexible Placement and Long Battery Life

The Mi Home Smart Humidity and Temperature Meter 3 Pro supports both desktop placement and magnetic mounting, giving users more flexibility when deciding where to install it.

Despite the larger display and additional sensing capability, Xiaomi has retained a low-power design. The device uses a single CR2450 coin-cell battery and is rated for approximately one year of battery life.

A More Capable Indoor Environment Monitor

The new model is essentially an expansion of the traditional temperature-and-humidity meter concept. Its most important addition is not the larger display, but the ability to monitor CO₂ alongside temperature and humidity.

At 114 yuan during crowdfunding, the Mi Home Smart Humidity and Temperature Meter 3 Pro combines environmental monitoring, historical data tracking and smart-home automation in a compact device. Whether that extra functionality is useful will largely depend on whether users want CO₂ data and automated ventilation-related reminders in their homes.

The post Xiaomi Smart Humidity and Temperature Meter 3 Pro Adds CO₂ Monitoring, Starts at 114 Yuan appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

El Peugeot i-Cockpit muestra cómo está cambiando el interior del coche: pantallas de 21 pulgadas, inteligencia artificial, voz y ergonomía intentan resolver un mismo reto, ofrecer más tecnología sin exigir más atención al conductor.

This summer, NASA test pilot Mike Lippert powered up the X‑59 cockpit for the first time, running the aircraft’s engines on the ground during a key step in his months of preparation and training to fly the experimental aircraft. 

“Getting into the cockpit of the X‑59 felt very comfortable,” said Lippert, the newest X-59 test pilot for NASA’s Quesst mission. “The whole team has done a tremendous job of making sure I am trained and prepared.”

Lippert’s first powered interaction with the aircraft demonstrated how mentorship works in NASA’s test pilot community. The X‑59’s two established pilots, Nils Larson and Jim “Clue” Less, guided him throughout the test. Larson monitored Lippert’s coordination with the control room, while Less answered questions and provided coaching. 

Their feedback, along with insights from experienced engineers, turned the startup sequence into a detailed training exercise to strengthen Lippert’s understanding of the X‑59’s systems and the pace of test operations. 

The X-59 is a revolutionary design, shaped to create a quiet thump instead of a sonic boom when flying faster than the speed of sound. The test pilots’ experience and skill will allow NASA to safely test the aircraft, then eventually fly it over U.S. communities to gather data on how the public perceives the sounds it makes. 

The engine run also introduced Lippert to the X‑59’s maintenance crew. As the test progressed, Lippert saw how the cockpit and control room work together during critical operations. Watching the real-time rhythm, he said, provided a better understanding of how NASA’s flight test teams align to ensure safety and precision. 

Lippert credited the test team’s operating practices and leadership for helping him prepare for flight. He spent extensive time in the X-59’s high-fidelity simulator — designed to match the aircraft’s cockpit — for training, aircraft familiarization, and mission rehearsal. The simulation team’s members are absolute experts on the aircraft and have been key contributors to his training and the program as a whole, Lippert said. 

Lippert said he felt energized after powering on the aircraft’s systems for the first time, adding the milestone left him feeling ready for upcoming test flights. The X-59 will continue to progress through envelope expansion and test its performance under various flight conditions. In the coming months, it will advance toward acoustic validation flight tests to study the sonic thumps it is designed to make.

Learn more about the Quesst mission on NASA’s site.  

The post NASA’s New X-59 Test Pilot Gets Behind Controls for Ground Test appeared first on NASA Science.

Samsung Electronics plans to outsource all additional production of conventional memory modules as it focuses its in-house capacity on high-value memory products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM).

Samsung Electronics is strongly urging outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) partners to expand production lines to meet growing demand for conventional memory modules, according to industry sources on Sept. 15. Instead of expanding its own production capacity for DDR5 memory modules and solid-state drives (SSDs) used in PCs, servers and laptops, the company is increasing allocations to outsourcing partners.

“Samsung Electronics lacks space to expand existing back-end production lines needed to manufacture semiconductors for artificial intelligence (AI), so it is reallocating space and equipment at packaging plants in Cheonan and Onyang to advanced packaging lines, including HBM,” a person familiar with the matter said. “The company has decided to handle most increases in conventional memory module production through outsourcing rather than expanding its own capacity.”

Another person familiar with the matter said, “Samsung Electronics has asked its partners since June last year to increase investment in production lines for conventional DDR5 memory modules and SSDs. This year, it has even proposed that partners bring forward capacity expansions from their existing plans.”

Samsung Electronics is expanding outsourcing of conventional modules because it needs to use its limited production facilities more efficiently. The company plans to begin construction this month of a new 6 trillion won HBM plant at its Onyang campus, but completion will take several years.

A new $1.5 billion back-end processing plant under construction in an industrial park in Thai Nguyen Province in northern Vietnam will also be dedicated to testing older memory products, including DDR4, low-power LPDDR4, NAND flash and universal flash storage (UFS) products. That leaves Samsung Electronics with limited in-house facilities available to increase conventional module production.

DDR5 memory modules are assembled by mounting prepackaged DRAM and NAND chips and passive components onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) using surface-mount technology (SMT). The process is relatively less complex than advanced packaging for products such as HBM, allowing outsourcing partners to expand production capacity sufficiently.

Hanyang Digitech, SFA Semicon and Dreamtech Expand Facilities

Samsung Electronics’ outsourcing partners are also expanding production facilities in line with the company’s increased outsourcing of memory modules.

Dreamtech, which began mass production of DDR5 modules in India in November last year, is also expanding its production lines. In June, the company approved equipment investment to convert and expand its Noida Plant 1 in India, which had assembled printed board assemblies (PBAs) for smartphones, into a large-scale memory module production line. The expansion work will be completed this month, followed by a gradual increase in production capacity. The plant is ultimately expected to secure annual production capacity of more than 50 million units.

Hanyang Digitech is working to improve productivity at its existing memory module plant in Vietnam. The company invested more than 31.5 billion won in the first half of this year to introduce new machinery and automate production processes.

SFA Semicon is transferring DDR5 testing and module assembly equipment previously used at Samsung Electronics’ Onyang campus to SFA Semicon’s plant in the Philippines. The first phase is scheduled to begin operations in November, followed by the second phase in the second quarter of next year. The move is expected to significantly increase DDR5 final testing and module production capacity. SFA Semicon handles fine-pitch ball grid array (FBGA) packaging of memory chips at its Cheonan plant in South Chungcheong Province and conducts final testing and module assembly at its Philippine plant.