JP: Woven City: Inside the £8,000,000,000 futuristic city for just 2,000 people in mass human experiment
Ambitious plans to build a utopian sustainable city at the foot of an active Japanese volcano are well on their way to completion.
First announced in 2021, Toyota has been hard at work constructing their Woven City just miles away from Mount Fuji on the island of Honshū, with the first of 2,000 anticipated residents now expected to move in before the end of the year.
Digital twins and the future of Singapore
With its ability to build an exact digital replica of anything from a small motor vehicle to entire cities, digital twins comprise one of the most promising tech developments of this decade. Singapore is at the vanguard of this leap as it holds the distinction of being the first country with its own virtual replica that is accurate down to individual buildings' rooftops, facades, and windows. With such detail, urban planners can do things that are approaching the realm of science fiction. Designers can simulate every metre of a new railway or bus lane, along with its impact on streets, households, and even at the individual level.
Digital twins also hold immense potential for high-value sectors such as manufacturing, which contributes a staggering 20% to Singapore's GDP.
Virgin Media O2 successfully trials smart poles to boost UK coverage
Virgin Media O2 has successfully trialled an innovative new way of improving and expanding mobile services by bringing together its fixed network infrastructure with new smart poles, which could help to boost mobile coverage in local areas across the UK.The innovation trial, delivered in collaboration with shareholder Liberty Global, has seen smart poles installed beside the operator’s existing national fibre network cabinets. The poles, which are much smaller than traditional mobile phone masts and do not require planning permission, can be safely installed in less than a day and house small cell technology which can boost mobile coverage in busy areas.
In a UK first, the electricity is supplied by Virgin Media’s fibre network rather than a traditional power supply through innovative ‘digital electricity’ technology, which transmits power from on-street cabinets in the local area along fibre optic cables. The same fixed fibre network is also used to carry data to and from the mobile cells and the internet.
The Era of Smart Cities
The term “smart city” refers to the use of technology and data-driven solutions to enhance residents’ quality of life, improve efficiency and address various issues (like traffic congestion, pollution, and public safety). The phenomenon is on the rise worldwide, with many local governments adopting smart technologies.
One of the most important infrastructures for a smart city is a robust and effective Wi-Fi network. One such example is Hertfordshire in the UK, which recently upgraded its Wi-Fi infrastructure in over 300 government offices and community hubs. According to Innovation News Network, having a secure network with robust AI capabilities helped Hertfordshire County Council improve connectivity and benefit the community by encouraging residents to use public spaces. Other benefits include a supported hybrid working style and the minimization of roadblocks. Furthermore, if the Hertfordshire County Council wants to integrate other smart technologies, it will already have the foundational infrastructure.
Digital public infra transforming India: Nirmala
India has made strides in digitalization and the digital public infrastructure (DPI) has had a transformative impact on the country, said Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Saturday.
Speaking at Indira Gandhi Arts and Science College after unveiling the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Nirmala started off mentioning about her roots in Trichy.She outlined the government's commitment to inclusive growth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India's advancement.