Latest news with #LaszloToth
Euronews
13 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
EU slowly catching up with Korea, Japan on 5G: report
Even though Europe is still lagging in the deployment of standalone 5G networks, the bloc is slowly catching up with other regions in the world, a European Commission report on connectivity targets published Monday suggested. The so-called Digital Decade report said that targets to have all EU households connected to 5G by 2030 - presented by the Commission in 2021 - ware likely to be met. 'The percentage of households covered by 5G (all spectrum bands) rose by 5.3 percentage points, from 89.0% in 2023 to 94.3% in 2024. This represents a year-on-year increase of 6.0%. According to the forecast along the baseline trajectory, 100% of the target is expected to be achieved already by 2027,' the report said. When it comes to rural areas, just under 80% were reached by 5G coverage, up from 71% in 2023. Korea leads with 100% coverage, followed by Japan (99.2%) and Norway (99.0%). The US (97.0%), India and China (all 95%) also exceed or match the EU's coverage rate. 5G connections are deemed necessary as the use of internet connected devices, industrial appliances and data volumes increase. The report – which also looked at digital skills, cloud and AI uptake -- said that overall, the EU made 'steady progress' in 2024 in digitalising key public services, but a substantial portion of governmental digital infrastructure continues to depend on service providers from outside the EU. 'The data shows persisting challenges, such as fragmented markets, overly complex regulations, security and strategic dependence. Further public and private investment and easier access to venture capital for EU companies would accelerate innovation and scale up,' the report said. In December, the Commission is set to present its Digital Networks Act (DNA), an overhaul of the bloc's telecom rules to address connectivity issues. A consultation on the DNA is currently open. In a response to Monday's report, Alessandro Gropelli, director general of telecom association Connect Europe, said a 'deep reform of Europe's connectivity policies is required.' 'We support an ambitious Digital Networks Act inspired by the Draghi Report: in the 21st century, there is no competitiveness without strong connectivity companies,' he added. Laszlo Toth, head of Europe at mobile network operators' trade association GSMA, said the report was encouraging but cautioned against complacency. "Getting a basic level of 5G coverage across Europe is one thing but actually providing people with the level of connectivity they need remains a huge challenge under current regulatory circumstances. We need the Commission to continue to look to the future in the upcoming DNA and merger reviews and promote a simplified and pro-investment environment where our digital ecosystem can truly thrive," said Toth. The 27 EU member states will now discuss the Commission's report and discuss the way forward. Next year, the EU executive will review the targets and whether they still reflect the evolving demand of the EU's priorities. Data centres are the digital world's powerhouses – but they come with a heavy environmental cost. Globally, they consume an estimated 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity each year, equivalent to the energy needs of 153 million homes. Without intervention, their carbon footprint could reach 3.2% of global emissions by 2025. Teja Potočnik, a 26-year-old Slovenian researcher, is working to change that. Her invention – an automated nanomaterial integration platform – optimises the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices, otherwise known as chips. These advanced chips, in turn, power the servers and hardware that run today's data centres. By enabling the production of more energy-efficient chips, her innovation directly contributes to reducing the massive energy consumption of data centres worldwide. 'The problem we are solving is the ever-increasing demand for faster, more efficient and more powerful microchips. This is because of the demand of AI, quantum computing and data storage users', Potočnik explains, 'Our invention can help with the manufacture of more energy-efficient chips using nanomaterials, which means that there can be enormous energy savings.' This pioneering project has earned her a place among the selected innovators honoured at the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, awarded by the European Patent Office. As chips become smaller and more powerful, manufacturers are turning to materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots to push performance boundaries. But while these nanomaterials hold immense promise, integrating them at scale remains a major challenge. Potočnik's invention, LithoTag, addresses that bottleneck. By embedding nanoscale markers into semiconductor wafers, the platform enables precise alignment and integration of nanomaterials with high repeatability. This bridges the gap between laboratory research and industrial manufacturing. 'The industry cares about reliability, replicability, and integration into manufacturing processes,' she says. 'No matter how good a technology is, it holds little value if it can't be scaled.' Originally from Slovenia, Potočnik moved to the UK to study materials science and engineering, where she says she 'fell in love with nanomaterials'. Potočnik co-founded the startup Nanomation while completing her PhD in nanofabrication at the University of Cambridge. With backing from Cambridge Enterprise, she and her team filed a patent application and began exploring commercial partnerships with chip manufacturers. But it's not just about business: Potočnik's work directly supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – by improving the scalability of sustainable microelectronics. It could lead to more energy-efficient consumer devices and data centre infrastructure, with widespread environmental benefits. Looking ahead, Potočnik envisions her technology becoming standard in advanced electronics manufacturing. 'The real advantage of our technology is that it can be applied to any material and any sort of electronic design, so we really hope to become the industry standard in integrating nanomaterials into advanced circuits,' she explains. Beyond the lab, the young Slovenian innovator hopes her story will encourage others to pursue bold, scalable ideas that can make a difference. 'To all the inventors who are thinking about realising their new idea, I would say just have an open mind and be brave,' Potočnik advises.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Epic 2024 Oscar-winning movie is now streaming on Max, perhaps making it less intimidating for many viewers
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Brutalist was one of the best reviewed movies of 2024 (WTW's The Brutalist review called it 'a cinematic classic') and won three Oscars, including Best Actor for Adrien Brody. But the movie's three-and-a-half-hour runtime (with an intermission included) may have scared some people off from seeing it in movie theaters. Well, with The Brutalist now streaming on Max, that hopefully will be less of an issue. Clocking in at a whopping three hours and 36 minutes, The Brutalist follows Laszlo Toth (Brody), a visionary architect who arrives in the United States after fleeing post-war Europe in 1947. He struggles with his new life until his talents become noticed by a wealthy benefactor (Guy Pearce) who handpicks him for a major project. However, personal and professional struggles impact Laszlo's search for the American dream. Felicity Jones also stars in this movie directed by Brady Corbet, who also co-wrote the movie with Mona Fastvold. In addition to its three Oscar wins (Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Score), The Brutalist earned 10 Oscar nominations in total, highlighted by a Best Picture nom and acting nominations for Jones and Pearce as well. Throw in the 93% 'Certified Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes and there's little question that The Brutalist was one of the defining movies of 2024. Yet it made just over $16 million at the US box office and just over $50 million globally. It's a fair assumption that the running time was a factor in that. Heck, even some members of the Academy that votes on the Oscars reportedly didn't watch The Brutalist in full because of its length, prompting a new rule. While The Brutalist's gorgeous visuals, epic scope and score made it something to behold on the big screen, and from my experience the runtime didn't feel all that bad (the 15-minute intermission probably helped), I can understand some people's apprehension of committing to that amount of time in a movie theater. Watching The Brutalist on streaming gives you more control over how you watch the movie. Even with The Brutalist available via digital on-demand platforms, which it has been since February 18, you didn't have that much control unless you bought the digital copy, as rentals typically require you to watch a movie within 24 hours of when you start them. Well now, you can break up The Brutalist however you would like on Max. Watch it one go, break it up over a couple of nights, what have you. To be clear, I don't recommend this segmented viewing approach, especially if it's your first time watching the movie. I'll always advocate that a movie should be watched in its entirety in one go. But if The Brutalist runtime was what was keeping you from watching the movie that can now be mitigated. So, again, The Brutalist is now streaming on Max (which in the near future will once again be known as HBO Max, following another rebrand). If you are not a subscriber or Max is not available where you live, then The Brutalist is available to buy or rent via digital on-demand. Watch the trailer for The Brutalist right here:
