As in other countries, the driving permit in Finland not only shows that its owner is qualified to drive a vehicle, but can also serve as a means of identification, in a similar way to presenting a passport or identity card. But physical driving permits are rarely updated during their 30 year lifespans, which can be a problem if the photo on...
Israel-based Clal Insurance is offering discounts on health insurance plans for vegans. The company has established a Vegans Pay Less (VPL) initiative, developing specific life and health insurance plans for vegans, which include a significant discount. The discounted health insurance will only be available to members of vegan associations who...
A common depiction of virtual reality (VR) in cyberpunk and near-future science fiction involves the user wearing a full-body rig to allow them to be truly ‘present’ in the virtual environment. The Teslasuit Project brings this idea out of the realm of science fiction and into the real world. The suit offers a full-body haptic feedback system...
Italian mortadella producer Felsineo recently debuted vegan meat alternative line Felsineo Veg. The company expanded into producing vegan meats in an effort to recoup lost profits as mortadella sales continue to decline in the region. “It is an incontrovertible fact that the number of consumers choosing vegetarian and vegan [products] is...
in China, police are now wearing sunglasses equipped with facial-recognition technology to catch criminal suspects. Railway police in Zhengzhou, a central Chinese city, are the first in the country to use facial-recognition eyewear to screen passengers during the Lunar New Year travel rush, Chinese state media reported The glasses are connected...
Scientists have grown a perfectly compatible ear in a lab and grafted it onto a patient, in what they said was a world first in regenerative medicine. The groundbreaking technique saw them use the patient’s own ear cartilage cells to form a new one. Five children suffering from a condition known as microtia, in which the external ear is...
Norway is going to be electrifying all of their short-haul airplane flights by 2040. The move is part of the nation's effort to become the world's first country fully powered by renewable energy. Electric flight means all domestic travel and other Scandinavian capital destinations could be reached without fuel. Electrifying short-haul flights...
In the Shibuya section of Tokyo, Henn na cafe, a robot coffee shop, features a machine (made by the US manufacturer Rethink Robotics) with a robotic arm, automatic coffee maker, and screen displaying an avatar’s face. It greets visitors in Japanese. “Hello, would you like delicious coffee?” it says. The robot will then scan the QR code of the...
The trend for sophisticated travelers is towards more specialized vacations. A terrific example is the the gin-spired package draws inspiration from Snowdonia Distillery’s Forager’s Gin which is made from botanicals growing in the Snowdonia National Park. On arrival at the Grade II listed Victorian hotel, whose distinguished former guests...
Augmented reality is proving to be a useful tool for learning. A new app called Music Everywhere can teach you how to play the keyboard through AR—and it can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store for free. Co-founded at Carnegie Mellon’s ETC with Seth Glickman, Fu Yen Hsiao and Byunghwan Lee, the software provides such an effective solution...