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Building a Light Rail Line Inside a Residential Building in Chongqing: A Brilliant Solution to Urban Mobility Needs?
Built in the heart of Chongqing, a city nestled among mountains and rivers, the idea of constructing a light rail line inside a residential building seemed impossible. However, when engineers of Line 2 faced the challenge of extending the line and dividing it into stations, they came up with an innovative solution: integrating the line into the building itself. The result was an unusual yet fascinating addition, like the Liziba Station, nestled in the middle of a hill in the heart of a residential area. Instead of building separate casas topas with a literal railway line for a door, imagine the reality of having a metro line passing through the backyards of local residents every day. With Chongqing's complex geography and pressing mobility needs (the urban core has nearly 50 million inhabitants spread across all adjacent municipalities, and it has taken almost twenty years to address its transportation needs), the designers had to find a quick and effective solution. They responded by integrating the metro line into the building. The decision was deliberate, not an accident. The building was constructed with the metro station inside. A brilliant choice, given that all cities face the same challenges of livability and mobility. In some cases, the solutions for livability come first, while in others, mobility solutions take precedence. In this case, the metro line was built before the station appeared on top. A solution? Pass the metro line through the buildings. In just a few minutes, you can enjoy a time-lapse of the entire Line 2. Even the most famous Liziba Station, with the trend of disappearing into the grand toilet bowl-like structure, has other similar structures scattered around the mountain. Just like the train sets through buildings, the Line 2 was designed to work with natural stations. Another view, in this other case: More spectacular and unusual solutions to China's persistent mobility problems. In the last few decades, China has experienced unprecedented growth. Millions of people have moved from the countryside to cities, creating makeshift megapolises like Chongqing. This crisis has been solved with radical solutions, such as the metro-edifice.
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Asian Car Manufacturers Explore Hydrogen Fuel Cells as Alternative to Traditional Car Washes
While European countries have been making strides towards electric vehicles, Asian car manufacturers are looking for alternatives to clean their vehicles' coatings. China has also decided against completely electric vehicles, as the market for them has been unacceptable so far. Japan, however, has taken different approaches. The country is focusing on designing a red hydrogen generation system to power their vehicles, for both transportation and tourism, in the future. Toyota and Honda are leading the way, as the former is committed to developing its fuel cell system to make hydrogen a viable option for sports vehicles. The latter is also investing heavily in the hydrogen business, as Hyundai-Kia has announced they will work on improving hydrogen production and facilitating transportation, with the goal of making hydrogen cheaper than electric or diesel vehicles.
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Apple Faces Legal Challenges Over New Apple Watch Models
Apple faces legal challenges over its new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models. The US Court of Appeals has denied Apple's petition to pause the prohibition on sales of these smartwatches due to patent infringement. However, the decision brings complications for these devices. Reasons include the impact on the public interest and the fact that the US Customs and Border Protection considers these smartwatches do not infringe on Masimo's patents as long as they don't contain the specific functions in question. Apple may have to disable the blood oxygen monitoring feature for watches sold in the US as a result of this decision. However, the price of the watches will not change. The affected users will be notified, and the warning will be displayed on the product pages of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 indicating that one of these models is not available with the oxygen sensor function. This legal issue could have significant implications for Apple's financial results in the last quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. Masimo has already announced it will invest $100 million in lawyers for the case.
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China's Semiconductor Industry Faces Challenges in 2023
China's semiconductor industry faced numerous challenges in 2023, including the US and its allies attempting to hinder China's advancement in leading-edge circuit designs to impede its military capabilities. However, this doesn't mean China's chip manufacturers have been left behind. In fact, the global chip market saw a significant decline in 2023 due to a one-year pandemic delay, affecting all chipmakers, including Intel, Apple, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, AMD, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, SMIC, and others. The demand from their clients has been reduced, with September 2023 distributing 24% fewer chips than the same period in 2022. The global chip production capacity in China increased by 6.9% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to China's National Statistics Office. So, how is it possible that China's chip industry had a significant improvement in 2023? The answer lies in the fact that the global chip production capacity increased by 6.9% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to China's National Statistics Office. However, to understand the situation in detail, we need to dig deeper. In November 2023, Shen Bo, the president of ASML's Chinese branch, assured that the demand for equipment from China was still strong. Interestingly, the demand from other countries was also significant, with ASML, Tokyo Electron, and Canon Nikon being reliant on Chinese chipmakers to maintain their development pace and compete with foreign competitors, such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. The global chip production capacity increased by 6.9% in 2023 compared to 2022, but the situation is more complex. China is not the only solution. China will also face challenges in the medium term in strengthening its semiconductor industry by relying on the US and other countries for advanced equipment and technology.
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Significant Progress in Primate Cloning: A New Horizon
Over the last 30 years, cloning technology has not kept pace with the advancements in the field of cloning. However, a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai has recently announced a significant step forward in primate cloning. They have successfully cloned a Macaca fascicularis monkey, opening up a new horizon for the field. The monkey was produced two and a half years after the death of the original primate, using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology. Although the cloning technology used in this experiment is not significantly different from that used in previous experiments, such as the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, it is expected to advance our knowledge of the reproductive cloning mechanisms in primates, potentially improving the efficiency of the process.
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Samsung and LG's OLED TVs Shine at CES 2023
At CES 2023, Samsung and LG showcased their second-generation QD-OLED and OLED MLAs (MicroLens Arrays) panels, respectively. These companies refined their OLED technologies to increase their competitiveness. Hisense and TCL also presented miniLED TVs with impressive specifications. Here's a sneak peek into what to expect in the TV market in 2024.
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Discovering Hidden Gems: Top Android Auto Apps Not Found on Google Play
Android Auto allows control of certain applications, but developers have found ways to bypass limitations. Here are some of the best Android Auto apps not found on Google Play. But where can you find them? Many of these apps are found in coding repositories like GitHub, some under the radar of Android Auto. The main unofficial Android Auto markets are AAAD, AA Store, and GitHub. There are more, but all the apps mentioned below are available in one of these three platforms. Note: Many of these apps should only be used when the car is parked, otherwise, besides the risk of security issues, you could receive multiple warnings.
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The Controversy Over the World's Tallest Mountain
The Everest has been considered the tallest mountain in the world, but a volcano in Hawaii, Mauna Kea, is challenging this notion. While Mauna Kea's peak is only 4,205 meters above sea level, if measured from its base beneath the ocean, it is 10,211 meters tall, making it taller than Everest. This has sparked a debate among experts about the criteria used to measure the height of a mountain. Some argue that the measurement should be taken from the base to the peak, while others argue that the measurement should be taken from the center of the Earth. In the latter case, the Chimborazo in the Andes would be considered taller than Everest. The controversy highlights the complexities in measuring the height of natural features and the importance of clear and consistent criteria.
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Hyundai Unveils Hydrogen Fuel Cell Strategy Amid Lack of Support from Producers
Hyundai has presented its hydrogen fuel cell strategy, expressing confidence in the potential of hydrogen as a viable alternative to electric vehicles. Despite the minimal presence of hydrogen-powered vehicles in Europe, Hyundai believes that hydrogen has the potential to be used in various transportation applications. The company's strategy includes an integrated approach to the production, distribution, and consumption of hydrogen in vehicles. The main challenge, according to Hyundai, is that hydrogen vehicle manufacturers and hydrogen producers are not working together, creating a complicated transition to clean energy. Europe has proposed allocating 60.000 million euros before 2030 to create hydrogen refueling stations for light and heavy transport. However, the main challenge is the production and transportation of hydrogen. Hyundai is working on the development of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolizers to produce cleaner hydrogen and is also considering the production of hydrogen from plastic waste. The company has not addressed the difficulties of transporting hydrogen, as it is highly flammable and volatile. Despite this, Hyundai is confident in the potential of hydrogen for transportation. In 2021, the company announced that all of its vehicles would have an alternative with a hydrogen fuel cell, but they have made it clear that they believe hydrogen has a much greater future beyond light transportation. In the United States, there are already 30 hydrogen-powered trucks in operation, each with a range of 400 kilometers thanks to a tank of 31 kg of hydrogen. In its presentation, Hyundai also discussed the potential of hydrogen in trams, special equipment, boats, advanced mobile generators, and even in aerial transportation. The company has announced that it will have one of these devices in 2028 and is currently the only manufacturer interested in using hydrogen for its aeronautical engines. Rolls-Royce has also confirmed that it is working on the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft, as they believe that electric planes will only be able to cover a limited range in the beginning.
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How to Delete Your Threads Account Without Affecting Your Instagram
This article explains how to delete your Threads account without affecting your Instagram account. The process involves accessing the account settings in the Threads app and choosing the 'Desactivar/Eliminar perfil' option. If you choose 'Eliminar perfil', your account will be permanently deleted after a 30-day grace period. This will not affect your Instagram account.
