Switzerland
Latest
ProtonMail under fire after giving authorities an activist's IP address
As detailed in our transparency report, our published threat model, and also our privacy policy, under Swiss law, Proton can be forced to collect information on accounts belonging to users under Swiss criminal investigation. This is obviously not done by default, but only if Proton gets a legal order for a specific account.
Swiss university claims it broke the record for Pi calculation
A team from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden in Switzerland claims it has calculated for 62.8 trillion digits of Pi.
Switzerland pilots a contact tracing app using Apple and Google's tech
Switzerland is piloting a COVID-19 contact tracing app that uses the Apple-Google framework.
Students develop a smart bra for early breast cancer detection
Students from the Swiss university EPFL have developed a smart bra designed to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages. They believe it's the first piece of clothing that can be used for cancer prevention. They even claim that it's comfortable and that the tech is "nearly imperceptible."
This pea-based chicken alternative was inspired by hagfish slime
Another company wants to get in on the animal-free meat trend. The Swiss company Planted hopes to do for chicken what Impossible Foods did for beef. It claims its planted.chicken -- made from pea protein, pea fiber, water and sunflower oil -- is indistinguishable from the real thing, and as a meat alternative, it avoids some of the ethical and environmental concerns that come with raising poultry.
Facebook’s Libra currency gets backing from MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and more
Today, Facebook finally announced its long-rumored cryptocurrency platform, Calibra. Some speculated that the company would rely on outside firms and existing cryptocurrency exchanges, like the Winklevoss twins' Gemini. Instead, Facebook's Calibra will use a brand new cryptocurrency, Libra. The cryptocurrency will be governed by the Libra Association -- a purpose-built, independent non-profit headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Swiss watchmaker's latest jab at the Apple Watch has no hands
Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie is no stranger to taking digs at the Apple Watch. Its latest form of social commentary, however, is rather unique. The company has unveiled the Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black, a mechanical watch that once more riffs on Apple's design but doesn't even have hands or a dial -- the only thing on the front is a flying tourbillon mechanism to counteract the effects of gravity. Instead of looking at the watch to check the time, you're suppose to sound a minute repeater whose chimes will tell you if you're running late. This is supposed to be a callback to a time when you needed a repeater to tell the time in the dark, but it also happens to resemble an Apple Watch with the screen turned off.
Lime halts service in Switzerland over possibly dangerous glitch
Don't expect to travel around Zurich on an electric two-wheeler in the near future. Lime has halted services in Switzerland following reports of its scooters abruptly halting in mid-ride, throwing (and sometimes injuring) riders. In a message to customers, Lime said the move was temporary and that it was performing a "thorough security and quality check" on the scooters to ensure this didn't happen again. It promised 15 minutes of free ride time as compensation when service returned, although it didn't say when that would happen.
Samsung's first 3D Cinema LED screen launches in Swiss theater
Want to watch 3D movies at the theater without the picture quality limitations that come with projectors? You'll want to plan a trip to Switzerland. Samsung's 34-foot 3D Cinema LED screen has premiered at Arena Cinemas' Silhcity theater in Zurich, promising moviegoers 3D without the usual drawbacks (and, hopefully, a few perks). It promises 10 times the peak brightness of projectors while retaining the full 4K resolution and consistent picture quality, avoiding the usual problems with dim, low-resolution 3D images that vary based on where you're sitting. HDR video support and JBL Professional audio help, too.
Trump announces program to test drones beyond FAA regulations
President Trump and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program today -- an initiative aimed at exploring expanded use of drones. While the Obama administration began allowing some drone activity to take place in US airspace, a fair amount of restrictions were still applicable. This new program, however, will allow companies and local governments to use drones in ways that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently doesn't allow. That includes "beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, nighttime operations, and flights over people," as White House advisor Michael Kratsios said today.
Autonomous delivery drone network set to take flight in Switzerland
Matternet has long used Switzerland as a testing ground for its delivery drone technology, and now it's ramping things up a notch. The company has revealed plans to launch the first permanent autonomous drone delivery network in Switzerland, where its flying robot couriers will shuttle blood and pathology samples between hospital facilities. The trick is the Matternet Station you see above: when a drone lands, the Station locks it into place and swaps out both the battery and the cargo (loaded into boxes by humans, who scan QR codes for access). Stations even have their own mechanisms to manage drone traffic if the skies are busy.
Edible robot surgeons will cure you from the inside out
Back in 1985, the best robotic surgeon we had was the Puma 560, a manipulator arm just barely more advanced than Rocky Balboa's robo-butler. Just barely. The Puma was nevertheless revolutionary. It was the very first mechanical operator, progenitor to steady-handed robo-surgeons like the DaVinci system. But in the near future, robots will no longer be cutting into us -- from the outside, at least.
Modular robotic eel hunts for sources of water pollution
We already have ways to measure the levels of pollution in bodies of water, but an eel-inspired robot can do the job faster and more effectively. The researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and other institutions have created a modular robotic eel that can swim through contaminated water to pinpoint sources of pollution. Each module is equipped with a different type of sensor, including biological ones, like fish cells, live crustaceans and modified bacteria. Scientists can customize the eel for different locations by choosing the modules they need and leaving the others out of the configuration.
Switzerland votes for an end to nuclear power
Countries like the UK might still embrace nuclear power, but Switzerland is headed in the opposite direction. The country has voted in favor of an energy plan that will eventually eliminate any use of nuclear power, shifting its efforts toward renewable sources like solar and wind. While there's no timetable for the nuclear shutdown, which was chosen through a binding referendum. However, efforts should get underway in January 2018 -- you may hear more details by then.
ICYMI: Tornado simulators and cranial cracking robo-surgeons
Today on In Case You Missed It: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are leveraging 20,000-core supercomputers to model the inner workings of supercells in hopes of finding out why some storms unleash tornadoes while others do not. In all, the simulation relied on nearly two billion individual data points. We also take a look at a sure-handed robotic surgeon developed at the University of Bern in Switzerland that's designed to drill tiny holes in your skull. See, in order to install a cochlear implant, doctors need to cut a small hole in your skull but the location is packed with facial and taste nerves. One wrong move and the operation can do more harm than good. But with this robo-surgeon on call, doctors can drill more deftly. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
The next robot crawling through your gut could be a gummi bear
The future of robotics is decidedly squishy. We've already seen gel-based 'bots that can catch fish, mimic octopi and even ones that can keep your heart pumping. And, if the researchers from Switzerland's EPFL are successful, they could soon be crawling around in our intestines as well.
Photographer captures nature through surveillance webcams
Nature photography usually involves a lot of being outside and walking. That's fine for some, but photographer Marcus DeSieno captures our world's natural majesty from his computer, via online traffic and weather camera feeds.
Bitcoin wallets get a key approval in Switzerland
Bitcoin companies offering virtual wallets sometimes face a difficult legal question: do they have to operate as a bank (with all the regulation that entails), or can they function as something else? In Switzerland, at least, that matter is settled. Xapo has received "conditional approval" for running its bitcoin wallet service from the country. It'll have to participate in a self-regulatory organization and meet other unspecified terms, but it won't have to secure a banking license. As of now, it's classified as a financial go-between.
Swiss cops use anti-drone guns at the World Economic Forum
Swiss authorities have added another security measure for this year's World Economic Forum in Davos: anti-drone guns. Bloomberg has spotted local police preparing HP 47 Counter UAV Jammers to make sure no unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) gets too close to the venue, whether it's sent by a spy organization or just a nosy onlooker. That's the same jammer the German police used in Berlin when President Obama visited the country. The publication says authorities decided to bring in an anti-drone technology, because people with malicious intent could use UAVs to monitor security positions or even to launch attacks.
Swiss rail stations will sell bitcoins at ticket machines
Switzerland is stepping up its bitcoin fascination in a big way. Railway operator SBB (with the help of SweePay) is launching a 2-year trial for a service that lets you exchange Swiss francs for bitcoin at any of the company's ticket machines in the country. Scan a QR code with your phone and you can get between 20 to 500 francs ($20 to $505) of digital currency at any time. If you want to go shopping without using cards or physical cash, you can do it right after you leave the train station.
