A battery breakthrough made by researchers in Japan could pave the way for next-generation batteries to finally enter mass production. A team from Tokyo University of Science discovered a way to build sodium-ion batteries with an equivalent performance to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion, or li-ion, batteries are found in everything from electric cars to smartphones, however they are made from difficult-to-extract and expensive resources, while also containing liquid electrolytes that are toxic and flammable. By contrast, sodium-ion batteries are cheaper, offer stability against extreme temperatures, and pose no risk of overheating. Until now, their main limitation has been a lower energy density compared to li-ion batteries. To overcome this limitation, the scientists developed a high-capacity electrode made from nanostructured hard carbon, which they were able to optimise and then incorporate into an actual battery. The researchers said the new electrodes deliver “unprecedented performance” and offer a viable option for producing next-generation batteries for consumer electronics and electric vehicles. “This value is equivalent to the energy density of certain types of currently commercialised lithium-ion batteries... and is more than 1.6 times the energy density of the first sodium-ion batteries, which our laboratory reported back in 2011,” said Professor Shinichi Komaba from Tokyo University of Science. The breakthrough could also make sodium-ion batteries viable for other practical applications, such as low carbon footprint energy storage systems for solar and wind farms. The research was detailed in a study, titled ‘New template synthesis of anomalously large capacity hard carbon for Na- and K-ion batteries’, published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. Read More Breakthrough solar system outperforms military-grade diesel generator

UK Labour and opposition leader Keir Starmer will announce proposals to block all new North Sea oil and

A mother who received a heart transplant has told how her daughter twice saved her life using the Alexa home assistant service. Emma Anderson, from Robroyston in Glasgow, has appeared in a music video by Scots chart star Tom Walker. She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy just before she turned 16, which makes the heart muscle too thick to function correctly. The 27-year-old received a life-saving heart transplant last year at the NHS Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank. She told her daughter Darcey from a young age that she had a “sore heart”, and taught her what to do if she became ill at home. Darcey, now aged six, stayed calm and has been able to raise the alarm on two occasions. Ms Anderson said: “We told Darcey that mummy had a sore heart so she’s always known I’ve had heart problems. “I set up the Alexa so that if I passed out or was feeling unwell all she had to do was say, ‘Alexa, call help!’, and that would call my mum who lives around the corner. “And she’s had to call on Alexa a couple of times, she even called an ambulance on her own and that time I was in a really bad way. “I’m so proud of her, she is a wee superstar.” She is a wee superstar! Emma Anderson When first diagnosed, she had an internal defibrillator implanted inside her chest, which “fired” three times last year. She said the heart transplant had been transformative and she was able to marry her partner Conner in July last year. Ms Anderson said: “Since my transplant I have a totally new life now. “I can actually walk to school and pick her up and walk back again, something I could never do before. “Over Easter, I managed to take Darcey swimming and to the play park, the farm park, simple things I wasn’t able to do before, I can do now. I’m able to be a mummy now.” She continued: “Getting a transplant is a very hard road, it’s not easy. “I was on life support and all sorts of other treatments after my operation for a long while, and my muscles deteriorated so much I couldn’t walk any more. “The only thing I seemed to care about once I was better was learning to walk again so I could walk down that aisle and get married. I was literally discharged just over a week before the wedding, I still had stitches in walking down the aisle.” While recovering in hospital, Ms Anderson created a TikTok video with images of different stages of her heart journey using Scots singing star Tom Walker’s song, The Best Is Yet To Come. The singer was so touched by the video he invited her to London to appear in a video featuring people who had inspired him. She said: “Tom contacted me and asked me to go down to London and be part of his music video to raise awareness. “So I went down and did that with other people who were absolutely incredible, who had been through a lot in life too, and it was so nice of Tom to recognise that through his inspiring music. “Like the lyrics say, I definitely think the best is yet to come for me thanks to my organ donor.” Chief executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, Gordon James, said: “As we celebrate 75 years of the NHS, Emma’s inspiring story shows us how valuable and crucial the life-saving care the NHS provides is to our patients.”

Asset managers selling funds into the European Union risk having client flows “meaningfully” disrupted as regulators in the

Mark Zuckerberg has revealed the new Meta Quest 3, just days ahead of the widely-expected launch of Apple’s own virtual reality headset. The new version of the Quest has higher resolution graphics, better performance and a slimmer and more comfortable design, Meta claimed. The new version of the headset will release later this year, Meta said, and much was left unannounced about the new headset, including the full details of the chip that will power it. Mr Zuckerberg suggested that more details about the new headset would be revealed at Meta’s “Connect” conference, on 27 September. While Meta and Mr Zuckerberg did not address the widespread rumours that Apple would launch its own headset, the reveal looks to have been scheduled to attempt to beat the reveal of that product. Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference event on Monday, during which it is expected to release its own headset to the world. Like the new Meta Quest 3, Apple’s headset is expected to focus on graphics and a comfortable design, aimed at uses in both gaming and social features. Meta has long been looking to position virtual and augmented reality as the future for years, even renaming the company from Facebook to Meta in an attempt to shift focus onto its work in what it calls the metaverse. But it said that the new headset was the first that could allow for both “cutting-edge VR and MR experiences in a single device”, meaning that users can both inhabit entirely virtual worlds as well as put virtual objects into the real world. ““Ultimately, our vision is to enable you to move through all realities in a way that’s intuitive and delightful, going beyond the rigid classifications of ‘virtual reality’ and ‘mixed reality’ to deliver truly next-gen experiences that let you effortlessly blend the physical and virtual worlds,” said Mark Rankin, Meta’s vice president of virtual reality. “Meta Reality gives you both the deep, immersive magic of VR and the freedom and delight of making your physical world more fun and useful with MR. We’re excited to see what developers and creators can build on the Quest Platform when the possibilities are limitless.” The Meta Quest 3 will cost $499.99 USD for the 128GB option, with the option to pay for more storage space. The Meta Quest 2 will also receive a reduction in price, and it and the Quest Pro will receive software updates that Meta said should improve the performance of that headset. The Quest 2 and Quest Pro will stay in Meta’s line up, and will continue to get software updates, Meta said. “While Quest 3 sets a new standard for mixed reality, immersive gaming, and what a mainstream VR headset can be, Quest 2 remains our most affordable entry point to VR and Pro is optimized for work use cases, with face and eye tracking for more authentic self-expression in meetings,” it wrote in its announcement. Read More Meta Ireland to cut about 490 jobs AI chatbot taken down after it gives ‘harmful advice’ on eating disorders Famous torrent site RARBG shuts down with final parting message

Facebook Marketplace is the most complained-about online retail platform for selling counterfeit, poor-quality and potentially unsafe goods, Trading Standards has reported. The online giant, which enables third-party sellers to trade goods on the platform via the marketplace, was criticised for being slow to take action against problem sellers and for enabling misleading product descriptions, counterfeit goods and potentially harmful products to reappear on its platform after being taken down. A national survey by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) found the online giant causes its officers the most concern, as well as being unresponsive or unco-operative when contacted about problem sellers. More than half (53 per cent) of respondents representing about 50 local authorities across the UK identified Facebook as the most complained-about online marketplace – more than all of the others combined. If it wants to be seen as a proper online retailer where people can buy safe and legitimate goods, it needs to start acting like one CTSI chief executive John Herriman The CTSI’s survey, the first of its kind, also found that Trading Standards teams were unable to properly address problems with online marketplaces because of a “triple whammy” of recurring issues – unco-perative businesses, unsuitable legislation and limited resources. Just 10 per cent of Trading Standards officers said they had been able to take action against online marketplaces as a result of these three obstacles. The CTSI’s survey found that 45 per cent of officers cited a lack of co-operation from online marketplaces as a recurring problem, 63 per cent said the law as it stands is not fit for purpose and 57 per cent had received no response when attempting to contact sellers on online marketplaces. Some 59 per cent said they had been unable to locate details about where third-party sellers on online marketplaces were based and 29 per cent said they wee unable to deal with complaints about online marketplaces because of a lack of time and resources. CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: “Facebook Marketplace needs to up its game. At a time when more and more people are going online to buy things, there is a real urgency for online retailers to take their responsibilities to their customers more seriously. Currently, online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are operating with fewer safety regulations than traditional high street retailers, eroding fair competition and allowing the sale of unsafe goods to flood the market unabated Martyn Allen, Electrical Safety First “The fact that Facebook Marketplace is an offshoot of a social media platform rather than a service that was built as an online retailer from the ground up speaks volumes. If it wants to be seen as a proper online retailer where people can buy safe and legitimate goods, it needs to start acting like one. “Failing to take action against sellers who use their platform to mislead, rip off and potentially endanger consumers just isn’t good enough. “We are calling for all online marketplaces to take action against problem sellers, for the law to be tightened up so enforcers have more tools at their disposal to protect consumers, and for more resources that enable us to do that more effectively.” A Meta spokesman said: “We take these issues seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them. “We also work closely with external partners and respond to valid legal requests from law enforcement and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, to prevent illegal activity on our platforms.” Phil Lewis, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG), said: “Criminals rely on legal e-commerce platforms, social media, maritime freight companies, express couriers, airlines, postal services and internet hosting services to set up rogue shopping sites. “ACG is calling on government to recognise the growing international threats to our families, job-providing businesses and the economy. “Appropriate enforcement resources and a policy architecture are desperately needed to ensure the companies providing these services work alongside our enforcement authorities and businesses, to combat this intensifying threat.” Martyn Allen, technical director of the charity Electrical Safety First, said: “Sadly, the high number of complaints Trading Standards officers receive regarding online purchases comes as no surprise. Online retailers like Facebook Marketplace need to be held to account just like any other type of business, otherwise consumers and legitimate businesses lose out Yvonne Fovargue, APPG on Consumer Protection “Currently, online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are operating with fewer safety regulations than traditional high street retailers, eroding fair competition and allowing the sale of unsafe goods to flood the market unabated. This puts UK citizens at serious risk of injury and harm. “It’s been a year and a half since the UK Government promised publication of the Product Safety Review, which is expected to include proposals to protect British consumers when they shop online. “The time for waiting is over – the Government must prioritise publishing the Review without any further delay.” Yvonne Fovargue, chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Consumer Protection, said: “Since the pandemic and now, with the cost-of-living crisis, more people are buying products from online marketplaces. “These consumers deserve to be treated fairly and should be able to be confident that what they buy is safe and accurately described. “Online retailers like Facebook Marketplace need to be held to account just like any other type of business, otherwise consumers and legitimate businesses lose out.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live UKRI announces £50 million to develop trustworthy and secure AI ‘Last Beatles record’ was created using AI, says Paul McCartney Put ‘public good’ at heart of AI and new tech, Starmer to say

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico's government on Wednesday unveiled a $3.4 billion recovery plan for the battered coastal resort of Acapulco,

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Reddit has reached out to its moderators, declaring that while their relationship has been "tested,"