Items of Interest

Acoustic Trap Display

#185
Researchers at University of Sussex have developed an Acoustic Trap Display to create a holographic interface. The display uses an array of ultrasound speakers to levitate a white bead at fast speeds within a 3 dimensional plane. A laser array lights up the bead at high speed which tricks the eye into seeing a 3D display.
Innovation
Tech

Project Silica

#185
Microsoft and Warner brothers have create a pilot long term storage project called Microsoft Project Silica. The project uses a slide of 3 inch by 3 inch glass silica to store 75.6GB of data in 100+ layers of 3D voxels. The pilot project archived the 1978 Superman film onto a slide which will last 1000+ years.
Innovation
Tech

Book Review: How To Lose A Country: The 7 Steps From Democracy to Dictatorship - Ece Temelkuran

#184
How To Lose A Country is an excellent comparison of the stages involved, tactics deployed and effects felt by the rise of populism in Turkey versus the current political establishments and campaigns in the US, UK and other Western countries. Temelkuran delivers her material using a mix of stark analysis and gut wrenching emotion, weaved together in a tapestry of wit and grave importance. A fantastic read. If you use this affiliate link to buy the book on Waterstones.com, the commission will go towards running FoundThisWeek.com (thanks!).
Review

Podcast Of The Week: The Blindboy Podcast - Science Week 2019

#184
This week on his podcast, Blindboy interviewed Jerry Murphy and Clare Watson, two climate researchers working with the MaREI centre in UCC. The interview was part of Science Week 2019 and covers a range of topics about biofuel and how energy production can adapt locally in response to the climate crisis. The two scientists are currently working on a project on the Dingle Peninsula which uses locally produced biofuel to run a local transport bus.
Environment
Innovation
Podcast

Local SEO Guide

#184
Backlinko published a comprehensive guide on the latest local SEO techniques for local businesses. 46% of all Google searches have local intent and 29% of Google SERPs now contain a local map pack in the results. The guide also states that 74% of uses that search for something local on their phone end up visiting a store that day. To optimise your local results listings, your Google Business Profile and NAP (Name, Address and Phone Number) citations are all important.
Business
Web Dev

Laser Voice Commands

#184
Researchers from Tokyo and The University of Michigan have published a paper showing that it is possible to hijack voice assistants and issue commands using lasers pointed at the microphone. Commands can be issued from up to 350 feet away by vibrating the diaphragm of the device's microphone to simulate a real voice command. The research team successfully hijacked Google Home/Nest, Echo Plus/Show/Dot, Facebook Portal Mini, Fire Cube TV, EchoBee 4, iPhone XR, iPad 6th Gen, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 2 devices.
Innovation
Tech

Roaming Eagles

#183
Russian researchers tracking the migratory patterns of eagles racked up a huge mobile data roaming bill when the eagles, which were fitted with mobile trackers, crossed country borders into Iran and Kazakhstan and used up the entire budget of the research project because of roaming data charges!
Tech

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