Sahara

Trip.com Group unveils Trip.Vision app, transforming travel experiences through Apple Vision Pro

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

One of the apps developed exclusively for the Apple Vision Pro, Trip.Vision promises a ground-breaking approach to travel exploration, offering users a unique and immersive experience of popular destinations worldwide.

Key Points: 
  • One of the apps developed exclusively for the Apple Vision Pro, Trip.Vision promises a ground-breaking approach to travel exploration, offering users a unique and immersive experience of popular destinations worldwide.
  • Upon donning the Apple Vision Pro headset and entering the app, users can immerse themselves in the beauty of global landscapes through 360-degree panoramic videos.
  • The Vision Pro interface, entirely responsive to the user's eyes, hands, and voice, also eliminates the need for additional controls.
  • The Trip.Vision app is now available on the U.S. App Store for Apple Vision Pro.

Trip.com Group unveils Trip.Vision app, transforming travel experiences through Apple Vision Pro

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

One of the apps developed exclusively for the Apple Vision Pro, Trip.Vision promises a ground-breaking approach to travel exploration, offering users a unique and immersive experience of popular destinations worldwide.

Key Points: 
  • One of the apps developed exclusively for the Apple Vision Pro, Trip.Vision promises a ground-breaking approach to travel exploration, offering users a unique and immersive experience of popular destinations worldwide.
  • Upon donning the Apple Vision Pro headset and entering the app, users can immerse themselves in the beauty of global landscapes through 360-degree panoramic videos.
  • The Vision Pro interface, entirely responsive to the user's eyes, hands, and voice, also eliminates the need for additional controls.
  • The Trip.Vision app is now available on the U.S. App Store for Apple Vision Pro.

Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the United States are interested in the region

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 8, 2024

In the last decade, issues such as terrorism, insecurity and trafficking have characterised the region.

Key Points: 
  • In the last decade, issues such as terrorism, insecurity and trafficking have characterised the region.
  • Military takeovers have been a major source of concern in the region and beyond in the last few years.
  • This is because Niger was seen as a “darling of the west” and a model for democratic governance in the region.
  • The main actors in this scramble are the European Union, France, Russia, China and the United States.


availability of natural resources
strategic location of the region in Africa
economic interests of the countries involved in the scramble
defence and security cooperation in the form of arms sales.
Foreign powers all have their reasons to be involved in the scramble for the Sahel.

France

  • Unlike Britain, France has maintained strong links with former colonies.
  • Despite these cracks, France is keen to maintain its grip on these countries, especially pertaining to military cooperation and resource extraction.
  • France was reluctant to pull its military out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger despite the countries severing military partnerships.

Russia

  • More recently, the emphasis by western countries on human rights, especially during counterterrorism operations, has pushed Sahelian countries closer to Russia.
  • While western allies demand the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in return for security and economic support, Russia portrays itself differently.
  • Furthermore, the Wagner group, the controversial private military company which is controlled by Russia, cooperates with some countries in the Sahel.

China

  • Like Russia, China portrays itself as an alternative to the traditional ally (France) of Sahelian countries.
  • With a mantra of “non-interference” and “respecting sovereignty”, China has entrenched itself as a “partner” of countries in the Sahel.
  • China is keen to use the conflicts in the Sahel to test its arms products.

The United States

  • A year before that, I had written about the security implications of the base for the region.
  • Unlike France and China, which both have extensive economic interests in the Sahel, the US has a strong military interest.
  • Niger, in particular, is strategically located and the US can easily fly surveillance and reconnaissance drones from the country to cover the Sahel, west and central Africa.


Olayinka Ajala does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

NTHU Develops “Super-cooling Nanofiber” for Buildings

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 29, 2023

Here’s some food for thought: Can buildings also be outfitted with similar cooling solutions?

Key Points: 
  • Here’s some food for thought: Can buildings also be outfitted with similar cooling solutions?
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230929587258/en/
    Professor Dehui Wan from NTHU's Institute of Biomedical Engineering has developed a "super-cooling nanofiber" membrane, the effect of which is akin to clothing buildings in cooling attire.
  • Covering roofs with this thin, pliable, and durable fiber membrane, which is resistant to UV rays and acid rain, is like adorning buildings with cooling attire.
  • In the blistering sun, Professor Wan led his students as they conducted experiments on the roofs of campus buildings.

Sahara space rock 4.5 billion years old upends assumptions about the early Solar System

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 29, 2023

On close inspection, the rocks turned out to be from outer space: lumps of rubble billions of years old, left over from the dawn of the Solar System.

Key Points: 
  • On close inspection, the rocks turned out to be from outer space: lumps of rubble billions of years old, left over from the dawn of the Solar System.
  • This is one of the most precise ages ever calculated for an object from space – and our results also cast doubt on some common assumptions about the early Solar System.

The secret life of aluminium

    • Among the many elements in this cloud was aluminium, which came in two forms.
    • Aluminium-26 is very useful stuff for scientists who want to understand how the Solar System formed and developed.
    • Because it decays over time, we can use it to date events – particularly within the first four or five million years of the Solar System’s life.

Uranium, lead and age

    • To figure that out, we will need to calculate the absolute ages of some ancient space rocks more precisely.
    • It’s useful for determining the relative ages of different objects, but not their absolute age in years.
    • There are two important isotopes of uranium (uranium-235 and uranium-238), which decay into different isotopes of lead (lead-207 and lead-206, respectively).

Meteorite groups

    • Achondrites are rocks formed from melted planetesimals, which is what we call solid lumps in the cloud of gas and debris that formed the Solar System.
    • Still other achondrites, including Erg Chech 002, are “ungrouped”: their parent bodies and family relationships are unknown.

A clumpy spread of aluminium

    • Measuring the ratios of all the lead and uranium isotopes was what helped us to estimate the age of the rock with such unprecedented accuracy.
    • We also compared our calculated age with previously published aluminium-26 data for Erg Chech 002, as well as data for various other achondrites.
    • This shows aluminium-26 was indeed distributed quite unevenly throughout the cloud of dust and gas which formed the solar system.

Jeep® Graphic Studio Launches Jurassic Park Package to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Original 1993 Film

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 2, 2023

"This exclusive Jurassic Park Package gives fans and Jeep brand enthusiasts alike the chance to make their Jeep 4x4 vehicle unique reflecting both their personality and pride of ownership."

Key Points: 
  • "This exclusive Jurassic Park Package gives fans and Jeep brand enthusiasts alike the chance to make their Jeep 4x4 vehicle unique reflecting both their personality and pride of ownership."
  • The Jeep brand and the Jurassic World franchise have an enduring shared history beyond the 1993 film.
  • In addition, in the summer 2022, the Jeep brand partnered with Universal Pictures to launch a global marketing campaign to celebrate the epic film "Jurassic World Dominion."
  • "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World" Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Travelers are eager to get back into the world with Collette in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

PAWTUCKET, R.I., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Collette saw a large bounce back in travel throughout 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic shook the industry. Travelers have continued to be eager to get back out and explore the world in 2023. Collette is excited to share which destinations are trending so far this year. North America's longest-running tour operator has seen travelers flock to Africa, Australia, Japan, and South America.

Key Points: 
  • Travelers have continued to be eager to get back out and explore the world in 2023.
  • Travelers have been eager to get back out and explore the world with Collette in 2023.
  • We're getting strong demand pretty much across the board," said Dan Sullivan Jr., Chief Executive Officer at Collette.
  • Collette has seen a surge in rave reviews of its " Colors of Morocco " small group explorations tour carry over into 2023.

Alpha Lithium Receives Independent Confirmation of Major Fresh Water Discovery at Tolillar Salar, Argentina

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 23, 2023

The preliminary Study, initiated eight months ago, indicates that the fresh water aquifer located within the Tolillar Salar mining tenements can sustainably support 5,109,279 m3/year (583 m3/hour) of fresh water withdrawals, without affecting the fresh water reserves in this sector of the basin.

Key Points: 
  • The preliminary Study, initiated eight months ago, indicates that the fresh water aquifer located within the Tolillar Salar mining tenements can sustainably support 5,109,279 m3/year (583 m3/hour) of fresh water withdrawals, without affecting the fresh water reserves in this sector of the basin.
  • Sustainable exploitation of the fresh water aquifer requires that the net outflows (“Exploitation”) are greater than the net inflows (“Recharge”).
  • The Study refers to only one of three fresh water targets the Company plans to investigate on its Tolillar property.
  • Alpha’s fresh water source will be a major attraction to the world’s most aggressive acquirers of lithium assets.”
    All operations and assets of the Company are in Argentina and are fully managed by Alpha Lithium Argentina SA (“Alpha SA”) utilizing local employees and consultants.

Tuya Smart Announced Brand Color of 2023 at CES Revealing Hidden Power of High-Tech

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 9, 2023

With the main tone color Viva Magenta, together with Skylight, Macchiato and Love Bird, Tuya told everyone a beautiful fairy tale.

Key Points: 
  • With the main tone color Viva Magenta, together with Skylight, Macchiato and Love Bird, Tuya told everyone a beautiful fairy tale.
  • Meanwhile, this concept also goes along with the theme of CES 2023 – "Be in It" – as well as fit in Tuya's theme at CES 2023 – Be in Smart.
  • Therefore, Tuya chose the sports products that Tuya enabled such as bicycles, surfboards, and more, to highlight their unlimited functions.
  • A variety of smart devices are painting a richer color for the world, and also changing the way we live every day.

Iridium and Smithsonian's Movement of Life Initiative Team Up to Help Protect Endangered and Threatened Species

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 14, 2022

MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) announced it has created a first-of-its-kind program in support of the Smithsonian Institution's Movement of Life Initiative, which advances conservation through the science of animal tracking.  Through this program, Iridium® satellite connections are enabling Smithsonian scientists to overcome the challenge of tracking wildlife in remote areas, enabling better understanding of threats to the survival of terrestrial, avian, and marine life.

Key Points: 
  • "By collaborating with Iridium, we're better positioned to protect species and their habitats, providing information that informs conservation efforts on the ground."
  • "The Movement of Life's global animal conservation efforts are incredibly important for the protection of threatened and endangered species, and Iridium is uniquely qualifiedto help with on-the-ground efforts in an impactful way," said Iridium CEO Matt Desch.
  • This program is made possible through collaboration with Iridium partners that are supporting implementation, including collar manufacturing and service provision.
  • For more information about Iridium, visit: www.iridium.com
    Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe.