Beyond the cloud — storing data in space
Data servers are essential to the functioning of the modern world, but they're both power and water hungry. When they're built, they often meet with community concern and environmental protest.
So, why not build data centres in space where solar energy is abundant? What could possibly go wrong?
Finally, we discuss how artificial intelligence is changing the way we write by providing tools for editing, improving clarity, and suggesting new ideas.
Guests
Dr Domenico Vicinanza — Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University
Damien Dumestier — Space system architect, Thales Alenia Space
Dr Steven Freeland — Emeritus Professor, Western Sydney University and Professorial Fellow, Bond University
Dr Daniel Murphy — Program Lead, Aerosol Properties and Processes, NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
Associate Professor Ritesh Chugh — Information and Communication Technologies, CQ University
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The Australian
5 hours ago
- The Australian
NVA gets critical show of support for Estelle
The Nova Board of Directors has met with Alaskan lawmakers, tribal representatives and advocacy groups, who all offered strong support for the company's Estelle gold and critical minerals project. Estelle's potential aligns with Executive Order 14153 which directs immediate measures to increase American mineral production. Nova has placed itself on a trajectory mirroring that of MP Materials and Perpetua Resources, both of which have secured major US Department of Defense grants to fast-track the production of critical minerals. Special Report: Nova Minerals has strengthened ties with key Alaskan lawmakers and stakeholders in the past week during a board of directors visit to its Estelle gold and critical minerals project. The company has been drilling around the clock during the Alaskan summer to push Estelle's mineral resource estimate past 9.9Moz and define a resource of critical mineral antimony. Also during the almost 24 hour sunlight the Nova (ASX:NVA) board has been warmly received by federal representatives, state and local leaders, tribal organisations and advocacy groups who expressed unified support for advancing Estelle. VIP visits During their visit board members met representatives of Alaska's Congressional Delegation, including the offices of US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and US representative for Alaska Nick Begich, who expressed ongoing backing for Nova's efforts to fast-track Estelle's development. Nova additionally received a strong show of local support during an event at Port MacKenzie attended by more than 25 Alaskan leaders including Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, leaders from the Knik Tribe, state legislators and representatives from the Alaska Miners Association and Friends of West Susitna. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority also provided project updates on the West Susitna Access Road during the board visit. This new road will provide critical infrastructure that will support Estelle and regional development. Nova is increasingly aligned with US Executive Order 14153, 'Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential', which outlines actions to bolster American mineral production. This positions Nova to follow the path of MP Materials (market cap ~A$16 billion) and Perpetua Resources (market cap ~A$2.4 billion), which have both secured significant US Department of Defense (DoD) grants for critical mineral supply chain initiatives. Following a positive technical site assessment by the DoD's critical materials team, Nova is continuing engagement with the DoD as Estelle moves toward becoming a near-term producer of gold and antimony. Nova CEO Chris Gerteisen said: 'We're starting to see the kind of momentum that propelled companies like MP Materials and Perpetua Resources to secure major federal support. 'With our recent positive assessment from the (US) Department of Defense - and with gold and antimony prices near record highs - we're optimistic that Nova is well-positioned to be a key part of building a secure, domestic supply chain. 'We remain deeply grateful for the support we've received at every level and are committed to advancing this project responsibly and swiftly. Our team is humbled by the opportunity and focused on delivering long-term value for Alaska, the United States and our allies.' Critical hub During the Port MacKenzie event, Nova presented its long-term vision for a potential processing hub in Alaska and highlighted the significance of recent discoveries. Congressional representative Nick Begich expressed strong support, which was echoed by other leaders who met the board: 'Partnerships like these are crucial for responsible resource development in Alaska and advancing plans for a Nova Minerals processing hub at Port MacKenzie will deliver important economic benefits for Alaska and support our long-term workforce development for Alaska's hardworking families,' Begich said. On road to growth Out in the field at Estelle exploration is continuing at the Stibium antimony-gold prospect, the high-grade RPM North deposit. Drilling in the Korbel starter pit area has already been completed, with samples to be sent to the laboratory for analysis shortly. Also underway are other exploration mapping and sampling, environmental baseline studies, access road projects and various technical studies, all of which will go towards completing the pre-feasibility study. Nova's board has since departed Alaska for further stakeholder engagement in New York City and Florida. This article was developed in collaboration with Nova Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Europe hopes for 'no surprises' as US weighs force withdrawals
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News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Review: Can Netgear's cheapest Wi-Fi 7 router fix your internet woes?
Does a router really make a difference in speeding up your internet within your home? It's a question I've often asked, especially while watching the wheel of death as YouTube videos were loading or Netflix streams died. Our internet connection at home is normally pretty good. But in recent times, it seems to have got worse, particularly after the rain or other weather events. And of course with so many devices connected in homes these days, everyone is trying to get a little bit of the bandwidth love. So when I got the opportunity to review Netgear's most affordable Wi-Fi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS100, I thought why not. At $259 it's definitely one of the more affordable solutions for people wanting faster connections of devices across the home, especially for those who have deadspots. It promises speeds of up to 3.6 GPS for gaming, smoother streaming and video conferencing. Did I notice a huge increase in speed? Yes and no. In my weeks of testing, I generally found my internet more stable and yes there was less buffering. But truth be told, the biggest increase came when I saw I could get a better internet speed from my provider for about $10 a month. That difference was surprisingly better than I thought it would be given I had pretty decent internet, most of the time. So what are the benefits of getting a router? In general, while a router won't increase your internet speed from your provider, it can optimise its performance in the home. That's especially the case when you have multiple devices connected at the same time. And with more powerful antennas, or mesh networking capabilities with better, more expensive systems, they can extend Wi-Fi range, eliminating dead spots in larger homes. Dual-band and tri-band routers also offer more channels and frequencies to avoid interference. Importantly, they can also offer better protection against hacking attempts. The Nighthawk RS100 is good for up to 185m2 of 360-degree WI-FI coverage. Netgear says its Armor software provides an automatic shield of security for your Wi-Fi and connected devices for real-time protection against hackers and added privacy with VPN. It was pleasantly reassuring to see on the Netgear app that there had been no threats on our connections during testing. You get a 30 day trial with the router and if you think there's value in it, you can subscribe for about $99 a year, which includes a VPN service. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, masking your IP address. It allows you to bypass geographic restrictions and access content as if you were in another location, which is a particularly popular use to get around streaming restrictions. How easy is it to set up a router? Out of the box, the Netgear router is easy to set up. You simply download the Nighthawk app, scan the QR code on the router and it will take you through the set up process which includes plugging it into your existing modem with the cords provided. I made a mistake with the cords I connected and it quickly identified that, advising me to check I had plugged them into the right spots. The whole process took about 30 minutes, which included rebooting and updating the router. Then of course you have to go around to the various devices you use and make sure you switch over to the Netgear connection to ensure the benefits. I was hoping I might be able to give some devices greater preference in terms of bandwidth – for example my work computer vs. my son's gaming needs, but that option wasn't available. There also no parental controls via the app that I could see. The router supports just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, omitting the higher-speed 6.0GHz band, so if you are right into gaming, you might want to go for the next models up. But if you have an older modem, you certainly should see some decent improvements. If space is an issue, one of the benefits of the RS100 model is it is smaller than others in the range, standing at 184mm high, 66mm wide and 122mm deep. It's certainly a lot smaller than my existing modem. The RS100 has a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for your broadband connection (WAN), along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired (LAN) connections for a PC or games console if required. The app is easy to use and will show you things like your internet speed and the history of your speed. So is it worth it? At $259, it could be a reasonable costing solution to improving your connections throughout the house. But if you are looking for more advanced features like parental controls, you will need to look at other routers, or do it via your owns phones.
