The percentage of Americans who say religion is very important in their lives has been relatively stable in recent years, though it appears to be lower than it was in the 2007 and 2014 Religious Landscape Studies. Today, about four-in-ten Americans say religion is very important to them. That’s what we’ve found both in the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) and in other surveys we have conducted since 2021. In contrast, more than half of U.S. adults said religion was very important in their lives in 2007 (56%) and 2014 (53%).  Some of this decline reflects the growth of religiously unaffiliated Americans: Adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” rarely say religion is very important to them personally. The decline also may be partly due to a “mode effect,” as Pew Research Center has changed the way it conducts surveys. Unlike the 2007 and 2014 landscape studies, which were conducted by telephone, the new RLS was administered primarily online and on paper. The Center’s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS), repeated annually since 2020, also is conducted online and by paper. A companion study conducted alongside the new RLS suggests that people are somewhat more inclined to say religion is very important in their lives when speaking to a live interviewer over the telephone than when reading questions by themselves and responding online or on paper. This aligns with social scientists’ findings that people taking surveys sometimes give more socially desirable answers when talking with another person, perhaps unconsciously leaning toward the answers they think the other person expects or wants to hear. The size and direction of this “mode effect” can vary, depending on the question. On the other hand, the percentage of Americans who say religion is very important in their lives was already slipping before we transitioned to online and paper surveys, and the mode effect on this question does not appear to be big enough to account for the entire decline since 2014. The 2023-24 RLS also asked respondents about the importance of the Bible in their lives. While most Christians say the Bible is either extremely important or very important, most adults in other U.S. religious groups say the Bible is not too important or not at all important. Read on for more details about how specific groups answer questions about the importance of religion and the importance of the Bible. Religion’s importance Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say religion is very important or somewhat important in their lives. But there are sharp differences across religious groups. Among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (widely known as Mormons), members of historically Black Protestant denominations, and evangelical Protestants, roughly seven-in-ten say religion is very important to them personally. Fewer than half of mainline Protestants and Catholics say religion is very important to them. Most U.S. Muslims (60%) say religion is very important in their lives, while Buddhists and Hindus are more likely to say religion is somewhat important than to say it is very important. Jewish Americans are among the most likely of the religiously affiliated groups studied to say religion is not too important or not at all important in their lives – though 27% say it is very important. Most people who are religiously unaffiliated say religion is not important in their lives, including 98% of atheists who say it is not too important or not at all important. The Bible’s importance Overall, 44% of U.S. adults say the Bible is extremely important or very important in their lives, while 19% say the Bible is somewhat important, and 37% say the Bible is not too important or not at all important. A majority of U.S. Christians say the Bible is extremely important or very important in their lives, but there are large differences across Christian subgroups. The vast majority of members of historically Black Protestant denominations, evangelical Protestants, and Latter-day Saints say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives. Fewer than half of mainline Protestants and Catholics say this. Most Americans who identify with non-Christian religions say the Bible is not too important or not at all important to them personally, though roughly one-quarter of Jews (22%) and Muslims (25%) say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives. Relatively few religiously unaffiliated adults (10%) say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives. This modest share comes almost exclusively from people who say their religion is “nothing in particular,” rather than from atheists or agnostics.   This question was not asked in previous RLS surveys, so we are not able to show trends over time. source

Key takeaways: A payment gateway is a technology that allows businesses to capture, authenticate, and encrypt online payment information from customers. If you want to accept payments online as a business, you’ll need a payment gateway. Choosing the right payment gateway depends on your business model, budget, and preferred features and support. If you’re a newly minted small business owner, you’ve likely heard the terms “payment gateway” and “payment processor” used interchangeably. And while most modern payment processors include a built-in payment gateway, they’re technically different. In this guide, I’ll explain how a payment gateway works and whether you need to set one up. Rest assured, if you’re using platforms like Stripe or Shopify, you’re already covered. What is a payment gateway? A payment gateway acts as the middleman between your website or point-of-sale (POS) system and a payment processor. Think of it as the digital equivalent of a point-of-sale terminal in a brick-and-mortar store. When customers enter their payment information on your website, the payment gateway authenticates and encrypts the data to protect it from fraud. It then sends the encrypted information to the payment processor. From there, the data is transmitted to the customer’s bank to approve or decline the payment. Without a payment gateway, your online store can’t securely accept payments. Thankfully, this technology is usually packaged with most e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify and WooCommerce. Types of payment gateways Payment gateways come in various forms, each geared for different business needs. These are the main types and common examples: Hosted payment gateways Hosted gateways redirect customers to a secure page outside your website to complete the payment. The shopper is then sent back to your site after their payment is processed. This type is straightforward to set up, making it ideal for beginners. However, the downside is that redirecting customers away from your site disrupts the checkout experience. Indeed, jumping from your site to PayPal and back creates extra friction at a crucial moment. Examples of this payment gateway: PayPal offers a hosted solution that’s easy to set up and widely recognized by consumers. Shopify users can use its built-in solution, simplifying the setup process. Average cost: Starts around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, with no monthly fees Self-hosted payment gateways Self-hosted gateways allow you to collect payment information directly on your website. This in-house approach grants you full control over the checkout process. However, this strategy requires higher technical expertise and strict adherence to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards. Plus, you’ll still need to work with a third-party company to build your system. Examples of this payment gateway: Square combines a payment gateway with POS software, making it a solid choice for brick-and-mortar stores that also sell online. Authorize.net is also an excellent pick for businesses needing a self-hosted gateway with top-notch fraud prevention tools. Average cost: Costs vary significantly, with average monthly prices starting at $25 to upwards of $100+, along with transaction fees and setup costs. API/Non-hosted payment gateways With API gateways, customers stay on your website throughout the entire checkout process. You integrate the gateway via an application programming interface (API), which delivers a seamless user experience. This setup promises more flexibility and branding opportunities. But it also requires advanced technical know-how. Many people resort to hiring freelance software engineers using sites like Upwork and Fiverr to build out and maintain this system. Examples of this payment gateway: Stripe is a great for open source API for custom-developed payment gateways. Average cost: Starting around $25 to $200 monthly and transaction fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Local bank integration gateways These are gateways connected directly to a local bank. As a result, you’re entirely dependent on one financial institution. This method isn’t common among e-commerce businesses based in the U.S., but they’re widespread in countries with lower credit card penetration. Regardless of geographic location, they’re often more complex to set up but typically boast low transaction fees. Some people also value the local aspect as a matter of personal preference. Examples of this payment gateway: Most mobile banking apps Average cost: Varies based on the bank’s pricing but can be lower than other types What’s hot at TechRepublic How does a payment gateway work? Image: TechRepublic Here’s how the payment gateway works, step-by-step: Step 1: A customer selects a product or service and enters their payment details. Step 2: Information entered is authenticated to ensure the identity of the user. Step 3: The payment gateway encrypts the sensitive information to protect it from fraud. Step 4: The gateway sends the encrypted information to the payment processor. Step 5: The payment processor communicates with the customer’s bank to approve or decline the transaction. Step 6: The gateway sends a confirmation (or decline) to both the merchant and the customer. Step 7: If approved, the funds are moved from the customer’s bank to the merchant’s account. Payment gateway vs. payment processor A payment gateway facilitates data communication and encryption, whereas a payment processor handles the actual transaction. The processor takes the payment information captured via the gateway, communicates with the customer’s bank, and ensures the transfer of funds from buyer to seller. In simple terms: Payment gateway: Manages secure data transmission. Payment processor: Oversees the transaction itself. Many providers, like Stripe or PayPal, marry these services so you don’t have to set up each one separately. This combination makes it easier for small business owners as you can get both functions in one package. Read more:  How to choose the right payment gateway for your business Here’s how you can select the best payment gateway for your business: Consider your business model For online-only businesses, hosted or API-based gateways are more suitable since you won’t have to handle in-person bank cards. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar shops with e-commerce components are better candidates for gateways integrated with POS systems. That way, you can process physical credit and debit cards. Also, consider the types of payments you plan to accept — for example, if you’d like to accept cryptocurrency payments, you’ll need extensive integration and cryptocurrency support. See: The best crypto payment gateways

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FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is a thing, mostly in social media and personal endeavors. But it also has a parallel in enterprise software roadmaps. Stay with me and I’ll explain. ERP software first hit the scene in the 1960s. In the decades that followed, the number and variety of ERP vendors and packages grew. In 1992, SAP launched the first client-server ERP software with the introduction of SAP R/3. ERP software vendors vied for new customers and worked to retain existing ones by introducing new features and capabilities at a feverish pace. New versions, service packs, and enhancement packs usually had new bells and whistles to help companies run more efficiently and get more value from their software. SAP users looked forward to getting shiny new toys from their software provider, all included in their annual maintenance agreements. But that model changed significantly, and in favor of vendors. By 2010, ERP software packages were feature-rich and quite stable, which meant the rate and quantity of new features began to taper off. Vendors started investing in their next-generation, cloud-based software solutions. In 2016, SAP delivered its last enhancement pack (EHP 8) for ECC6 (its successor to R/3) and announced there will be no more enhancement packs for ECC. Since then, SAP ECC customers, who number in the tens of thousands, continue to pay increasing annual maintenance fees for the software. For that, they get support and… well… support. But not support for customizations, and with no more new features. To push more customers to move to the latest products, vendors started to fan the flames on FOMO, selling the idea that customers who do not continue on their upgrade track will be missing out, even if those new features are not aligned to customers’ future business needs. FOMO or forgo? For SAP ECC customers, new features aren’t coming. They haven’t been coming since 2016. S/4HANA on-premises customers find themselves in a similar, though not identical, situation. While SAP plans to deliver three “Feature Pack Stacks” to S/4HANA on-premises customers after each key release, it has announced that its premium innovations will only be available to customers on its S/4HANA Cloud platform.1  The roadmap for customers who migrated to S/4HANA before the cloud version was available now leads to a cul-de-sac. To get the good stuff — the premium innovations — they will be forced to make the leap to S/4HANA Cloud and the RISE with SAP or GROW with SAP programs. CIOs are being pushed to go back to the board, hat in hand, to ask for more money. And if SAP were to make even more changes to their innovation availability model, how will this impact those who may have already incurred significant cost and disruption to their business? Many SAP customers around the globe have learned and benefitted from saying “No” to the pretense of FOMO, choosing instead to maximize the value and life of their existing release. They are reallocating the funds and talent that would have been locked up in the lengthy upgrade cycle to instead innovate around the edges and in the areas that make most sense for their business – immediately. Rimini Street: Replacing FOMO with FOR SURE In 2005, Rimini Street entered the market, offering organizations an independent, third-party option for transferring their annual support from the vendor to an independent provider. It’s no surprise many of our clients decided that the freedom and responsiveness benefits of third-party support outweighed the unknown value or applicability of future software enhancements. Many SAP customers, a number of whom customized their systems to best fit their business processes, switch from vendor maintenance to Rimini Street support and benefit from: The freedom to stay longer on their current software version Comprehensive support, including support for customizations not typically supported by the vendor No vendor pressure to upgrade just to stay fully supported Flexibility to choose and apply innovations, regardless of vendor Don’t get caught up in the FOMO trap. You’re not only NOT missing out on new features but also freeing yourself of uncertain value to your company. Choose what is best for your business, now and later, and take control of your IT investments and future roadmap. Remember: When SAP comes asking WHEN you’re going to upgrade, your response should be, “WHY?” 1 “ SAP CEO push for cloud-only ‘innovation’ shatters users’ trust in German-speaking heartlands.” Aug. 3, 2023, The Register. Rimini Street can help accelerate innovation with your existing systems. Connect with our SAP experts here. source

The California federal judge overseeing a proposed class action claiming Meta Platforms Inc. is using copyrighted material to train its large language model product said Thursday he will consider allowing the author plaintiffs more discovery in response to the tech giant’s assertion that it had “inadvertently” held back up some 18,000 documents. source

Image: Envato/Weedezign_photo The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that North Korea was behind the theft of $1.5 billion worth of digital tokens from cryptocurrency exchange firm Bybit last week. This is thought to be the biggest crypto heist of all time. The FBI’s PSA about this “TraderTraitor” attack In a Public Service Announcement, the FBI referred to the attack as “TraderTraitor,” a malicious campaign linked to North Korean state-sponsored hackers targeting cryptocurrency firms. “TraderTraitor actors are proceeding rapidly and have converted some of the stolen assets to Bitcoin and other virtual assets dispersed across thousands of addresses on multiple blockchains,” it said. The FBI expected the stolen assets to be laundered and eventually converted to “fiat currency” —  money issued by a government that is not backed by a physical commodity like gold or silver. It also provided a list of Ethereum addresses the threat actors have used or are using to launder the stolen assets, which it recommends crypto organisations block. Must-read security coverage How the crypto was stolen from Bybit and its response to customers The crypto was taken during a routine internal transfer from its Ethereum coin “cold wallet,” a digital wallet typically stored offline and considered more secure, according to Bybit CEO Ben Zhou. The attacker exploited vulnerabilities in the transaction to gain access to the cold wallet, and then transferred about 401,000 ETH to an unidentified address. After the theft, the value of Ethereum fell by around 4% on Friday, leaving it worth $2,641.41 per coin. SEE: Deepfakes Can Fool Facial Recognition on Crypto Exchanges The scale of the Bybit theft surpasses the previous record crypto heist, involving the theft of $615 million of Ethereum and U.S. coins from the Ronin Network in 2022. It also exceeds the largest known non-crypto heist; Saddam Hussein’s 2003 theft of $1 billion in assets from the Iraqi Central Bank. Zhou wrote on X Sunday that Bybit has replenished its reserves since the incident through a mix of emergency loans and large deposits. The company also told clients that their funds were “safe,” and it would refund anyone affected. Bybit was founded in 2018 and reportedly counts President Donald Trump and former PayPal chief Peter Thiel among its early investors. The company says it has more than 60 million users worldwide and offers access to various cryptocurrencies. Lazarus Group suspected as responsible for the theft The Lazarus Group, a hacking organization under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, has been identified by blockchain security experts. Blockchain analyst ZachXBT provided evidence to the blockchain analytics platform Arkham linking the attack to Lazarus, citing patterns consistent with recent North Korean cyberattacks in a post for TRM Labs. Lazarus has been active since about 2009 and has been responsible for a number of high-profile cyber attacks, including the 2017 Wannacry ransomware outbreak, which infected over 300,000 computers worldwide and caused significant disruption to the U.K.’s NHS. Estimates indicate that it cost the NHS £92 million due to disruptions in patient care. The group continues to develop new forms of malware to help it avoid detection. SEE: Ransomware Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know ZachXBT also linked Lazarus’ Bybit hack to a January attack on another cryptocurrency exchange called Phemex, which lost at least $69 million, according to The Record. North Korea has been accused of multiple hacks of cryptocurrency exchanges to steal digital assets, launder the funds, and use them to finance its nuclear weapons program. In 2024, North Korean hackers stole a record $1.3 billion in digital assets, nearly doubling the $660 million they took in 2023. Cryptocurrency has become a preferred method for money laundering by criminals to cleanse their illicit funds. The authors of this news story are TechnologyAdvice staff writer Fiona Jackson and contributing writer Esther Shein. source

Testing should involve key players responsible for response and recovery, not just the IT department. In addition, these parties may include legal, crisis management, LOB directors, business leaders team, communications, etc. Business continuity resources should be engaged for tabletop and working tests to ensure complete communication processes, documentation, resiliency plans, and stakeholder engagement are aligned with mitigating the impact and accelerating recovery. Testing should involve not just recovery of IT systems, but mitigation of impacts on staff work (e.g., where staff would work, how they would receive communications, acceptable levels of performance during recovery, order of recovery, etc.). This would include communications plans, alternative working locations, mapping resources to services, defining roles in response, and providing runbooks for disaster scenarios and their business continuity impacts. IDC’s January 2023 report titled IDC PlanScape: Disaster Recovery Testing for On-Premises, Hybrid Cloud, Multicloud, and DRaaS Models indicated that successful DR/BCP testing requires clear roles and responsibilities across the organization and that tests should include both DR (technical) and BC (business) risks and mitigations. Key roles involved are: source

（相）四大機構聯手合作推出亞太首支零售代幣化基金，當中代表包括：(右三)華贏東方(亞洲)控股有限公司主席駱淩巍、(左一 )OSL執行董事及法規事務主管刁家駿。 朱皓康，華夏基金（香港）數字資產管理主管和家族財富管理主管、亞洲RWA工作組創始人、香港數碼港創業顧問委員會委員。曾擔任高盛集團證券部執行董事，在紐約波士頓香港工作期間完成超百個企業上市IPO及二級市場融資項目。香港理工大學金融科技博士，長期給內地和香港虛擬資產政策建言獻策。在中國財政部直屬出版社出版了全球首部中文RWA專著《RWA與通證化》。 創新里程碑：華夏港元數字貨幣基金正式發行 2025年2月28日，華夏基金（香港）正式推出 “華夏港元數字貨幣基金”，該基金已獲得香港證券及期貨事務監察委員會（SFC）的批準，成為亞太地區首只面向零售投資者的代幣化基金。截止2025年2月27日彭博數據，華夏港元數字貨幣基金也成為全球首發規模最大零售代幣化基金。這一突破性進展不僅為香港金融市場的創新樹立了新的里程碑，也標志著全球金融行業向Web 3.0時代邁出了重要一步。 通證化或代幣化技術正在推動全球金融變革，將現實世界資產（RWA），如基金、私募債、碳資產、貴金屬和房地產轉化為易分割、快速流轉的鏈上代幣，支持 7×24 小時的全球低成本交易。這種模式不僅讓資產交易更高效便捷，還降低了投資門檻，為資本配置和普惠金融提供了全新解決方案。波士頓咨詢公司預計，2030年全球代幣化資產規模將達到16萬億美元。華爾街金融巨頭爭相推出RWA通證化產品。例如，高盛的GS DAP平台在2021年便成功幫助歐洲投資銀行發行數字債券；貝萊德在2024年推出了通證化私募基金 BUIDL，允許投資者全年無休地交易通證，同時獲得收益。 香港政府早在2022年便發布了《有關香港虛擬資產發展的政策宣言》，明確提出推動金融創新和資產代幣化的戰略方向。隨後，2023年11月，香港證監會進一步發布《有關代幣化證監會認可投資產品》的通函，為代幣化基金的發展提供了清晰的監管框架。華夏基金（香港）積極響應政府號召，與渣打銀行、Libeara（渣打創投旗下代幣化技術公司）、OSL（香港上市合規加密貨幣交易所）及華贏證券等合作夥伴緊密協作，歷經14個月的不懈努力，最終成功獲得香港證監會批準。這一成就不僅是香港在虛擬資產領域邁出的實質性一步，也為全球金融市場的數字化創新提供了參考範例。 代幣化基金：連接傳統金融與區塊鏈技術 華夏港元數字貨幣基金的推出，標志著傳統金融與區塊鏈技術的深度融合。作為亞太地區首只零售級代幣化基金，該基金填補了市場空白，成為區域內的“先行者”。 基金採用區塊鏈作為底層技術，投資者對基金的所有權將以數字代幣的形式表達，每一枚代幣代表基金的一個份額。智能合約的引入使得基金的運營規則能夠被 自動執行，所有交易記錄均存儲於不可篡改的區塊鏈賬本中，確保透明度和安全性。 代幣化基金帶來了諸多優勢： ● 擴大投資可及性：代幣化基金降低了投資門檻，能夠吸引包括新興市場在內的更加多元化的投資者參與，促進構建更具包容性的金融生態系統。 ● 提高效率：區塊鏈技術簡化了基金管理流程，降低了管理與運營成本。智慧合約自動執行預定義條款，消除了股息分配、贖回和合規檢查等任務中對中介的需求。這不僅減少了人為錯誤，還加快了交易處理速度，提高交易的效率。 ● 增強透明度：區塊鏈技術為代幣化基金帶來了更高的透明度。每一筆涉及代幣化份額的交易都被記錄在分散式帳本上，所有網路參與者都能即時訪問這些資訊。這種透明度使投資者能夠驗證其持有資產的真實性和歷史記錄，從而降低欺詐或管理不善的風險。 ● 潛在的可交易性：代幣化基金能夠在虛擬資產交易所上交易，未來可能實現全天候7×24交易，這種增強的流動性使投資者能夠更加靈活地進出市場，從而提高可交易性。 突破傳統貨幣市場基金的局限，升級流動性管理 在傳統金融體系中，貨幣市場基金一直是企業、機構投資者及穩健型個人投資者管理流動性的重要工具。基金通常投資於短期銀行存款、國債、回購協議等低風險、高流動性資產，以保持資金安全性並提供穩定收益。然而，傳統貨幣基金的運作模式仍存在一定局限性，比如： ● 交易清算周期較長：基金的申購或贖回通常需要 1-2個工作日完成，影響投資者的資金靈活性。 ● 信息透明度有限：普通投資者難以及時獲取基金運作的實時數據。 ● 資產流動性受限：傳統基金的資金周轉效率較低，影響市場響應速度。 為解決這些痛點，華夏基金（香港）積極探索基金代幣化的可行性。如今，華夏港元數字貨幣基金通過區塊鏈技術實現基金份額的數字化登記、持有與交易，在合規框架下完成了傳統基金的數字化升級，為投資者提供了更高效的流動性管理工具。 展望未來：香港推動虛擬資產發展，邁向全球金融科技中心 作為全球領先的金融中心，香港政府近年來積極推動區塊鏈技術與傳統金融體系的深度融合，加速數字資產生態的發展。2024年8月，由香港金融管理局（金管局）主導的Ensemble項目持續支持香港代幣化生態系統的建設，旨在探索現實世界資產（RWA）與區塊鏈技術的結合，進一步鞏固香港作為全球數字資產樞紐的地位。 作為 Ensemble 項目首階段試驗的參與機構，華夏基金（香港）期待代幣化基金逐步拓展至二級市場交易，實現 7×24 小時交易與實時結算。展望未來，代幣化基金有望與更廣泛的數字金融生態系統無縫對接，包括穩定幣、代幣化存款及數字貨幣 等多種金融工具。華夏基金（香港）將繼續與香港金管局及香港證監會深入合作，並借助Ensemble項目及其他金融科技沙盒，進一步探索代幣化基金的創新應用。 2025年2月26日，香港特區政府財政司司長陳茂波表示，香港政府即將發布第二份虛擬資產發展政策宣言，重點推動傳統金融服務與虛擬資產技術的深度融合，並研究如何在保障安全性的同時提升實體經濟的靈活性。此外，政府計劃在年內就 虛擬資產場外交易及托管服務的發牌制度展開咨詢，以建立更加清晰的監管框架，助力行業穩健發展。 從政策支持到技術落地，香港在金融科技領域的探索正加速推進。華夏基金（香港）推出的代幣化零售貨幣基金，不僅是香港金融創新的重要里程碑，也為全球金融機構提供了實踐經驗和應用範例。這一舉措標志著傳統基金管理行業正加速應用區塊鏈技術，共同開啟代幣化金融新時代。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp The post 華夏香港朱皓康：正式進入代幣化金融新時代 appeared first on VeriMedia. source

By Andrew Karpan ( February 28, 2025, 10:10 PM EST) — Halo Electronics’ nearly two-decades-old dispute with a rival completed its fifth trip to the Federal Circuit, with the appeals court on Friday ordering a Nevada federal court to recalculate the amount of interest Halo could collect on a jury verdict…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

A British R&D unit that’s been compared to DARPA is funding synthetic muscles, electronic skin, and mechanical hands for a robotics dexterity project. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) today unveiled the 10 teams selected for the programme. Their mission: usher in a new era of dexterity that will transform robotics and human productivity. Members of the group span startups, university labs, public research organisations, and large companies. Collectively, they will receive £52mn to advance the physical dexterity of robots. The funds aim to bridge the software-hardware gap in robotics, which has widened during the AI boom. Robot bodies now lag behind advances in computation. Their failure to match the flexibility, speed, and precision of humans has severely restricted their use. The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Algorithms, meanwhile, are rapidly reaching new levels of intelligence. ARIA wants the hardware to catch up. The agency argues that there’s a pressing need for progress. The proportion of the global population aged over 65 is set to triple by 2100. At the same time, labour shortages for physically demanding jobs are increasing. Robots could provide essential support. The robotics teams Members of the programme have proposed diverse solutions to the challenge. Arthur Robotics, a startup based in London, wants to commercialise an mechnical hand inspired by biology. Focused on manufacturing, the motorised limb blends soft, deformable contact surfaces with rich tactile sensing and reinforcement learning. A team led by Lorenzo Jamone, an associate professor in robotics and AI at University College London, will develop electronic skin. Based on magnetic technology, the skin aims to measure 3D contact forces at multiple points. It can also bend and stretch. Startups from outside the UK are also contributing. Denmark’s Pliantics will create soft linear actuators, which will serve as “artificial muscles” that enhance a robot’s physical interactions. Another set of artificial muscles will be built by Artimus, a US company, alongside researchers from the University of Bristol. Nicholas Kellaris, the co-founder and Chief Research Officer of Artimus, praised the project’s emphasis on cooperation. “This programme is unique in how it encourages and actively facilitates collaboration amongst creators at all levels of development, from fundamental hardware to the simulation, integration, and validation of full solutions,” he said. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to [join] this multi-level and cross-disciplinary approach.” The ARIA model Established in 2023, ARIA funds “high-risk, high-reward” research. The strategy has drawn comparisons to DARPA, a US Department of Defence agency that develops emerging technologies. The Pentagon unit has been involved in a variety of transformative innovations, from the internet and GPS to stealth technology and autonomous vehicles. At ARIA, a diverse array of projects is already underway. One unveiled last year plans to provide “quantitative safety guarantees” for AI with digital gatekeepers. Another aims to create early warning systems for climate tipping points. A third looks to nature to train AI at 0.1% of the cost. With the arrival of the robotics dexterity teams, ARIA is now adding futuristic hardware to its labs. You can find the full list of the concepts in the programme here. source