Remote surgery just took a big step forward, as Sovato and leading surgical robotics firms have agreed on the first technical guidelines for robotic telesurgery. While many talk about transformative healthcare, productive industry collaboration like this can actually solve real problems, such as regional surgeon shortages. By prioritizing patient safety and technical standards, these guidelines create a much-needed foundation for progress; and although there’s much more work ahead, it’s encouraging to see practical innovation that could extend quality care worldwide. I’ll keep watching to see how these evolving standards help bring remote surgery into mainstream practice.

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Vietnam has officially launched its own IoT chip, and it’s great to see their engineers leveraging both CMOS and III/V technologies for real-world applications like UAVs and telecommunications. Since CT Group is aiming for full design autonomy and even developing their own IP cores, this step may ultimately boost technology self-reliance in the region. They’re clearly thinking long-term, with plans for packaging and R&D plants as well as workforce development. While there are hurdles ahead in moving away from a fabless model, such ambition deserves recognition, and it’s uplifting to see growing local momentum in semiconductor innovation.

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Robotics continues to make hardware headlines, and the UK’s NHS is set to put robot-assisted surgery at the core of a decade-long overhaul. Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s bold plan aims for one in eight operations to be robotic, and hospitals lagging behind risk losing funding. Since efficiency and patient outcomes should always improve, these reforms hold real promise, though the lack of upfront investment does give pause. Meanwhile, surgeons in the US achieved a historic first with a fully robotic heart transplant, yet another clear sign that robotics is shaping the future of modern healthcare.

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Meta’s bold plan to raise nearly $29 billion for US AI data centers really underscores the industry’s appetite for rapid expansion, and partnering with both nuclear energy and private energy firms shows a clear commitment to sustainable power. I find it interesting that Meta’s balancing act, using debt and equity, lets them scale without overextending financially, and their aggressive AI hiring spree is bound to intensify talent wars. Although such concentrated investment inflates competition, it does highlight how seriously the big players are taking AI infrastructure and energy reliability in shaping tomorrow’s digital economy.

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The competition between Nvidia and Microsoft to hit a $4 trillion valuation is fascinating, since both firms are redefining what hardware value looks like in the AI era. Nvidia’s meteoric rise, fuelled by dominance in AI chips, is quite a feat; meanwhile, Microsoft’s approach, embedding AI deeply into its cloud offerings, may provide more stability in a volatile sector. While I’m aware that geopolitics may impact Nvidia’s streak, it's encouraging that hardware and software innovation are receiving equal market recognition.

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Rising data center demand is challenging Big Tech’s climate goals, as highlighted in a new NewClimate Institute report. While Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft made lofty promises, their surging AI and cloud expansions are driving up energy and water use far beyond early estimates. Although these companies tout sustainability initiatives, it’s clear that “moonshot” ambitions are colliding with real-world infrastructure needs. While innovation certainly requires power, hopefully the industry’s next steps will better balance growth with practical energy solutions rather than just shifting the goalposts.

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If you thought your earbuds were just a personal accessory, think again: new findings from Ernw reveal that headphones from major brands like Sony, JBL, and Bose are vulnerable to hacking thanks to flaws in Airoha’s Bluetooth chips. While attackers must be within Bluetooth range, the lack of authentication allows them to seize control and even listen in. This story once again demonstrates the issues that engineers face when making devices secure, and how poor engineering can lead to serious consequences.

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This week, the world’s first silicon-free computer, built entirely from two-dimensional materials at Penn State was revealed. While the device is primitive and slower than commercial chips, it’s a major milestone showing that alternatives to silicon are more than theory. As the miniaturization of silicon hits hard limits, it’s encouraging to see credible progress on new hardware frontiers; and if research continues at this pace, we could well see these ultra-thin materials enable even smaller, low-power computers in the near future.

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Soft robotics just got more predictable, as engineers from Keio University and the University of Osaka have developed a formula to accurately forecast the jump height of silicone hemispherical shells. While soft robots are vital for delicate tasks, their unpredictable motion has long slowed practical adoption. Now, since the team’s approach combines experiments and precise simulations, designers can ditch much of the traditional trial and error. This development is a promising move toward smarter robot design, showing how theoretical breakthroughs translate directly into more reliable hardware for real-world use.

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Smart home hardware keeps racing forward, and MIT’s latest 5G chip may finally address the persistent battery life headache that many networked devices face. Since their innovative low-power filtering system shrinks both size and energy demands by a factor of 30, even tiny gadgets can benefit from longer uptime and smaller batteries. It's interesting to see how this design attacks interference issues efficiently, which should make smart sensors and wearables far more practical. While their vision of harvesting ambient wireless power is ambitious, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the real-world impact of such energy-conscious engineering.

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Affordable humanoid robotics is finally within reach, since UC Berkeley’s new open-source Humanoid Lite lets enthusiasts and classrooms alike build their own two-legged robot for under $5,000. Because the design uses 3D-printed parts and hobby shop electronics, it encourages both experimentation and personalization. I’m encouraged to see real walking robots move from labs into home workshops, as open-source projects like this often drive deeper understanding and innovation. While the price is still significant for some, a collaborative and transparent approach could easily draw more talent into the field and help shape robotics from the ground up.

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