Final mission photos: ESA’s Ariane 5 rocket lifts off for the last time

Jul07
by on July 7, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Posted In: Space


This week, after nearly three decades of providing Europe access to space, the Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket completed its final mission. On Wednesday, July 5, at 22:00 GMT, the rocket took off from the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Its final flight launched two payloads into geostationary orbit. The first was the 3,400kg Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit that will test advanced communication technologies on behalf of the German government. The second was the 3,750kg Syracuse 4B satellite belonging to the French military.  Bowing out in style, Europe’s #Ariane 5 rocket has completed its final flight, placing @DLR_de’s Heinrich Hertz…

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Lithuania launches Europe’s first driverless delivery robots on public roads

Jul07
by on July 7, 2023 at 10:54 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


Last week, Vilnius became the first European city to introduce a small fleet of autonomous delivery robots on public roads. Developed by Estonia-based startup Clevon and in collaboration with Lithuanian delivery platform LastMile, three driverless robots are now bringing groceries to shoppers’ doors in the capital’s city centre. Credit: Clevon The robots pick up the goods from the IKI supermarket store on Mindaugas Street. After making their order, customers receive a text message with the arrival time and the code to unlock the vehicle’s door. And the best part? Delivery is free of charge. Credit: Clevon “We believe that these robots…

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Europe must act against AI-written reviews before it’s too late

Jul07
by on July 7, 2023 at 7:40 am
Posted In: artificial intelligence


Parts of modern life are inescapable. We all use mapping software for directions, check the news on our phones, and read online reviews of products before buying them. Technology didn’t create these things, but what it has done is democratise them, make them easier to access or add to. Take online reviews. Nowadays, people can share their honest opinions about products and services in a way that, back in the times gone by, would’ve been impossible. Yet, what the internet giveth, it can, uh, taketh away too? It didn’t take long for nefarious actors to realise they could exploit this…

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Report: European VC deals continue to sink amid economic downturn

Jul06
by on July 6, 2023 at 5:05 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


European VC deal activity continued to decline in the second quarter of 2023, the latest report by Pitchbook has found. Unsurprisingly, the ecosystem has been heavily impacted by inflation, limited capital availability, slow economic growth, and high interest rates. While the deal value jumped from €13.3bn in Q1 to €18.3bn in Q2, VC deal counts fell quarter-on-quarter from 2,625 to 1,824. Nearly 40% of those deals were made by early stage VCs, followed by later stage funds at 31.2%, and angel and seed investors at 28.1%. Based on this data, Pitchbook estimates a €31.5bn value across 4,449 deals for the…

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The startups on a mission to upgrade Ireland’s meagre EV charging network

Jul05
by on July 5, 2023 at 6:00 am
Posted In: Electric vehicle


Next month, 50 homeowners in Ireland will start renting out their home electric car charging points to their neighbours with the help of a new app. It’s “the Airbnb of electric vehicle (EV) home chargers,” says GoPlugable co-founder Maebh Reynolds. The app’s trial launch will be limited to that first group of 50 people who have their own charging point at home, and around 50 people with electric cars who would like to park up and pay to use them. If all goes well, a wider public launch could follow in September or October.  “We are drastically falling behind in…

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