Category: Innovation

Scientists from Cornell University, New York, have revealed that tomato juice can effectively combat Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium responsible for Typhoid fever, along with other bacteria affecting digestive and urinary tract health.

Salmonella Typhi poses a significant global health threat, causing symptoms of food poisoning and potentially fatal Typhoid fever. The research identified two antimicrobial peptides in tomato juice that disrupt the bacterial membrane, eliminating Salmonella Typhi and its hypervirulent variants.

Notably, there have been no FDA-registered recalls or advisories related to Salmonella contamination in tomatoes or tomato juice since February 2018. The findings suggest a potential public health benefit in increased consumption of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

Bluetooth Auracast is a new way to broadcast and receive audio content and represents a significant leap in wireless technology. Developed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Auracast aims to change how audio works in public spaces.

Unlike traditional Bluetooth connections that require pairing between devices, Auracast allows for audio broadcasting to multiple receivers simultaneously. This feature is akin to a radio broadcast, where any Auracast-enabled device within range can tune into the audio stream without needing a direct connection.

Auracast is designed to work across a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets, headphones, and hearing aids. This broad compatibility ensures that users can easily access broadcasts without specific hardware requirements.

It can transform public spaces by enabling venues like airports, gyms, and cinemas to broadcast audio to visitors’ personal devices. This application not only personalizes the user experience but also offers opportunities for accessibility improvements, such as delivering real-time translations or audio descriptions.

At home, Auracast can facilitate the simultaneous streaming of audio to multiple output devices. This feature simplifies sharing music or other audio content during gatherings and can enhance personal calls by allowing users to connect multiple headphones or speakers.

It also has the potential to significantly improve accessibility in public and private settings. By enabling direct streaming to hearing aids and cochlear implants, it can provide clearer audio for individuals with hearing impairments, making public information more accessible and reducing reliance on intermediary devices.

Despite its promising features, the adoption of Bluetooth Auracast faces challenges such as ensuring device compatibility, addressing privacy and security concerns in public broadcasts, and managing potential signal interference in crowded environments.

Still, it is a very interesting innovation and could definitely have some helpful applications.

A balding man once sagely remarked, “Fruit is a gamble.” (Seinfeld reference fyi). Imagine if producers and retailers could assess the odds before fruits hit supermarket shelves.

A new device developed by a British company, now available in supermarkets, distribution centers, and supply-chain hubs, uses light to scan fruit and detect its molecular freshness. Algorithms analyze water, sugars, and other compounds, such as ethyls and alcohols, to calculate the remaining days of freshness accurately. This enables suppliers and retailers to make informed decisions about the optimal utilization of each piece of fruit.

The company, named OneThird, aims to address the significant issue of food waste, which accounts for one-third of the food produced by humans. The extensive transportation of produce contributes to unpredictably perishable goods. OneThird’s food scanner aims to reduce this waste, benefiting not only those facing hunger globally but also minimizing financial losses for major grocery chains. Additionally, the technology helps mitigate the environmental impact of wasted produce, which contributes to increased methane levels in landfills, potentially affecting the planet over nine years.

OneThird’s portable scanners, initially developed in the medical sector, are now deployed to tackle challenges in the food supply chain. Marco Snikkers, the founder and CEO, highlighted the broken nature of the current system, where 40% of food waste is attributed to fresh produce due to a lack of knowledge about shelf life.

Currently capable of determining the shelf life of strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, and blueberries, OneThird plans to release an update to include grapes, bananas, mangoes, and raspberries. Each fruit requires individual study to establish its unique molecular fingerprint indicating proximity to rotting.

Accurate readings from the scanner empower grocery store workers to discount fruit at the right time or assign precise best-by dates to produce. In cases of impending spoilage, the store can proactively collaborate with food banks to redistribute items before they go bad.

Detecting wildfires before they spread is a significant global challenge. The University of California San Diego’s public safety program, AlertCalifornia, has collaborated with Cal Fire to address this issue by implementing AI.

The AI system is trained to recognize early signs of fire, such as smoke, using a network of over 1,050 cameras positioned in forests throughout the state. Upon detection, the system sends a text message alert to the local fire department. In the initial two months of operation, the system successfully identified 77 fires before any 911 calls were made. Falco Kuester, co-principal investigator at AlertCalifornia, emphasizes that the system’s successes lie in preventing fires from spreading and alerting the authorities even before people notice it and cause public panic.

Moving forward, the program is expected to expand and install more cameras nation-wide to combat wildfires.

Apple recently announced that it will begin to support RCS, the modern standard for smartphone messaging. This decision to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol in 2024 marks a significant shift in the landscape of cross-platform messaging, promising enhanced interoperability between iOS and Android devices.

Announced to be part of a future iOS update, likely iOS 18, RCS support on iPhone will introduce a range of iMessage-like features for texts between iPhone and Android users, including read receipts, typing indicators, and high-quality media sharing​​​​​​. RCS has been supported by Android devices for some time, with Google and Samsung championing the standard as a modern replacement for the aging SMS and MMS protocols.

Apple’s adoption of RCS, as announced in November 2023, comes after years of industry pressure and amidst growing regulatory scrutiny over proprietary technologies like iMessage. However, it’s important to note that RCS, while offering many improvements over SMS/MMS, does not currently match iMessage’s end-to-end encryption for all messages.

Apple will not be opening up their proprietary communication protocol to allow end-to-end encryption communication with Androids over iMessage. Instead, RCS is going to be Apple’s fallback protocol when communicating with an Android device. Apple has committed to working with the GSM Association to enhance RCS’s security features, including better encryption standards.

Despite these advancements, iMessage will remain exclusive to Apple devices, maintaining its encrypted communication platform for iPhone users only​​​​. The introduction of RCS on iPhones aims to alleviate some of the common frustrations experienced in cross-platform messaging, such as issues with group conversations and the sharing of media between Android and iPhone users.

While RCS messages will continue to appear as green bubbles on Apple devices, the underlying technology will ensure a more seamless and feature-rich messaging experience​​. This move, while long-awaited, is a positive step towards bridging the communication gap between iPhone and Android users, offering a glimpse into a more unified messaging future.

Having just recently experienced the frustrating inability to send any messages to a mixed Android and iPhone group chat. I can say that I am personally quite happy that Apple finally made this decision.