ABB writes next chapter in electrical history as transformers and key equipment for world’s first 1,100 kilovolt (kV) project in China pass stringent tests. 

ABB has set another pioneering innovation record with the successful testing of the low and high voltage units of the world’s most powerful ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transformer. The +/-1,100 kV (1.1 million volts) UHVDC transformer, developed and manufactured in close collaboration with State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), has successfully passed a series of type tests, paving the way for the implementation of the Changji-Guquan UHVDC link, which will transmit power from the Xinjiang region in the Northwest, to Anhui province in eastern China.

Self-driving cars, stuffed full of short-lived IT components, will help solve the transport problems in urban areas in the foreseeable future - and not just there. To this end, Swiss powerhouse of ideas Rinspeed has designed an elaborate and unparalleled mobility ecosystem in its latest concept car, the "Snap." Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht makes the hardware and software, which is bound to be outdated quickly, part of the high-wear chassis ("skateboard") - and separates it from the durable passenger safety cell ("pod").

60 years later, cars have gone from featuring no seatbelts or headrests to including airbags and electronic safety systems. The SEAT 600 and its successor, the Mii, exemplify the evolution of cars in recent decades.

Making the ‘Little Ball’ took 40 hours, while it only takes 16 to make a car today. ​Both cars are roughly the same size and are considered urban utilitarians, and the two responded to mobility needs at different times. They are the SEAT Mii and the 600, which this year is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Together we take a look at their peculiarities and the six major differences between two eras and two distinct driving styles:

Der Schweizer Andy Zbinden, 60, wohnhaft bisher in Zürich, aufgewachsen im Kanton Bern, Berufserfahrung als Elektroniker, Programmierer, Netzwerktechniker, Produktmanager und Unternehmensberater hat sich in Estland angesiedelt. Andy Zbindens Webseite unter www.azbi.ch befindet sich derzeit noch im Neuaufbau. Seit geraumer Zeit entwickelte er eine Passion für Möbel allgemein; besonders durch seine Erfahrung mit Informatikarbeitsplätzen für Büromöbel im digitalen Zeitalter. Das Thema führte ihn in diverse Städte Europas und in die USA.

Will 5G mmWave Technology Be Up to Speed For 5G Mobile Broadband in 2019-2020? The industry has had to tap into a wide range of radio spectrum frequencies from sub-1GHz to 100GHz including licensed, unlicensed, and shared spectrum to address the potential of 5G. According to new findings from ABI Research, while the use of mmWave is one of the most distinguishing features of 5G, in the near term the C-Band is emerging with the most global consensus for the timely launch of commercial 5G network in 2019.

Many of the lab and field 5G trials conducted by industry participants have focused on higher frequencies, but based on the recent regulatory announcements by about 20 countries, the C-band is the most common spectrum range identified for 5G.

First full electric ferry Ampere was launched in Norway 2 years ago. Quiet, elegant and comfortable electric vessel which transports passengers and their cars safely between Parainen and Nauvo in the Finnish Archipelago started now in Finland.

Most people associate Finland with saunas, the midnight sun, coffee of a strength that would command the respect of even the most intrepid Italian, and a marked awareness of environmental issues among its population. Finland is among those countries of the world which have focused on and achieved the successful generation of clean, renewable energy. So it comes as no surprise that the land of the Northern Lights is also home to the first battery-propelled ferries – which are powered with the aid of Siemens technology.

According to a recent report by PwC, within 15 years, artificial intelligence will take over 38% of U.S. jobs. This trend is expected to continue. What will employment look like? Which jobs will disappear and what does all of this mean for education?

According to Sir Michael Barber, former advisor to Tony Blair and former Chief Education advisor to Pearson, “it’s not just what jobs will exist and what won’t. It’s about what parts of current roles will be automated and what won’t.” He notes that we will still need doctors and lawyers but that “machines will often be more accurate” in terms of diagnosis and determination.

The union of technology and automobiles is ushering in a new era of connected and intelligent cars. These super smart cars come equipped with extraordinary features that were until now only a figment of our imagination. 

At some point in life, many of us have wished that a crack in our car bonnet would simply disappear, but, of course, never thought it possible. Well, think again. Lamborghini’s Terzo Millennio has the ability to conduct its own health monitoring to detect cracks and damages in its substructure derived from accidents. If it suffers damage, a self-repairing process starts via micro-channels filled with healing chemistries, reducing to zero the risks of small cracks propagating further in the carbon fiber structure. 

Major wireless tech companies are in a race to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to lock users into their respective ecosystems and many are discovering they can’t compete effectively in AI without investments in hardware, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

AI is where tomorrow’s tech money is. The technology learns our wants and how to anticipate our needs before we do, making useful suggestions and transactions on our behalf.

In TechnoHack, a traditional format hackathon at Mectory technology centre in Tallinn, Uptime developers participated by building a hat for blind people which recognizes traffic lights.

Teams arrived on Friday and they had to be ready in Sunday evening to present a working prototype, as this format of event usually demands. From Uptime, Tanel Hiob, Liisi Mõtshärg, Carl-Martin Ivask and Siim Orasmäe hacked the software and hardware for 48 hours to be ready for a Sunday presentation.