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Brushing with catastrophe? Expertise agency points warning about acute landfill contributor



Brushing with catastrophe? Expertise agency points warning about acute landfill contributor

Electrical toothbrushes are including to the world’s rising mountain of dangerous ewaste at a regarding price. UK sustainable know-how agency In2tec is asking for better consciousness of the difficulty, and a shift to the usage of reusable elements within the manufacture of those units.

Specialists at In2tec say low cost toothbrushes and customers upgrading to new high-end fashions with superficial, gimmicky enhancements are including to landfill unnecessarily.

In 2022, an estimated 34 million individuals within the UK used electrical toothbrushes with 12 million individuals having switched within the 5 years between 2015 and 2020, whereas it’s arduous to get dependable information on what number of are thrown away, the quantity is likely important – final 12 months Skilled Evaluations analysed information that exposed that the UK throws away 2,266 tonnes of toothbrushes annually – 212 million electrical toothbrush heads and handbook brushes.

Throwaway electronics have a devastating ecological affect, set off critical well being issues amongst waste pickers in growing international locations, and dissipate staggering quantities of important and more and more scarce supplies akin to uncommon earth components, aluminium, copper, and metal.

Most fashionable electrical toothbrushes include lithium-ion batteries. While they last more and are extra environment friendly, the important thing uncooked materials of lithium is fraught with important challenges all through the provision chain. Starting from useful resource availability to geopolitical dangers, human rights points, environmental considerations and technological hurdles.

Emma Armstrong, Sustainable Electronics Ambassador and Group Industrial Director at In2tec Ltd, mentioned: “Electrical toothbrushes are lower than £3 from some low-quality on-line retailers like Temu, so individuals are fast to interchange them once they inevitably break. In the meantime, gadget followers are tossing their completely advantageous mannequin for the subsequent technology, which boasts pointless telephone apps and a number of ‘cleansing modes’.

“Most toothbrushes aren’t designed to be reused or recycled and may find yourself in landfill after a couple of years if not a couple of months. Recycling can solely accomplish that a lot – for actual outcomes, society wants to show away from ewaste and embrace modular know-how that ensures elements are reused or repaired as a substitute of being burned or buried.”

Researchers at Trinity School Dublin undertook a examine on the sustainability of various fashions of toothbrushes to seek out out which had the best world environmental affect.

Dr Brett Duane, Affiliate Professor in Public Dental Well being and lead researcher mentioned: “There are billions of toothbrushes used and discarded yearly. Our analysis reveals that electrical toothbrushes are literally dangerous to the planet and the individuals concerned within the manufacturing course of and distribution.”

“The best toothbrush is one which makes use of plastic which is recycled in a steady course of. We want a system the place plastic toothbrushes might be collected like batteries after which recycled into new merchandise.”

In2tec is working to slash the harrowing environmental and societal affect of ewaste and supply modern options to the rising downside of throwaway electronics.

The corporate’s signature ReUSE® and ReCYCLE™ comprise a closed-loop course of permitting producers to take away elements from current electronics on the finish of their helpful life and reuse them – carbon-free.

ReUSE® is a collection of supplies, processes and design ideas used to fabricate printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), whereas ReCYCLE™ is the ultra-low vitality course of for unzipping PCBAs – the inspiration of almost all know-how – to the unique invoice of supplies (BoM).

The know-how’s versatility permits world commercialisation and an unlimited discount within the general vitality used to fabricate and course of when it reaches its finish of life – one thing that isn’t attainable when utilizing typical PCBA processes or supplies.

Why Your Lemon Bee Balm plant Isn’t Blooming—and How you can Repair It Quick


You planted lemon bee balm plant with care, watched it develop taller by the day, admired its lush inexperienced leaves—and nonetheless, no flowers. Sound acquainted? You’re not alone.

Lemon bee balm—also called Monarda citriodora—is a well-liked alternative for gardens because of its lemony scent, vibrant purple-pink flowers, and its knack for attracting bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. However when it seems wholesome and nonetheless gained’t bloom, one thing’s undoubtedly not fairly proper.

Let’s dig into the commonest causes this occurs—and what you are able to do proper now to deliver these stunning blooms to life.

Meet the Lemon Bee Balm plant

Earlier than we troubleshoot, right here’s a fast intro:

  • Botanical title: Monarda citriodora
  • Additionally referred to as: Lemon mint, purple horsemint, or simply horsemint
  • Native to: Central and southern U.S., particularly Texas
  • Splendid zones: USDA 3–9
  • Typical bloom time: Late spring to early summer time

Being a member of the mint household, lemon bee balm grows quick, smells wonderful, and might unfold fairly simply if left unchecked. When it’s joyful, you’ll see clusters of vivid purple flowers taking pictures upward—irresistible to pollinators.

Warning Indicators Earlier than Bloom Failure

Earlier than your bee balm offers up on flowering totally, it typically sends out small purple flags. Catching them early can prevent time and hassle.

What to Watch For:

Symptom Attainable Trigger
Yellowing leaves Overwatering or poor soil drainage
Droopy or wilting stems Underwatering or root stress
White or noticed leaves Fungal points like powdery mildew
No buds in any respect Not sufficient solar or an excessive amount of nitrogen
Crispy brown edges Windburn or salt buildup
Stunted progress Compacted soil or root issues

What You Can Do:

  • Test if the soil is simply too moist or too dry
  • Look carefully below the leaves for bugs
  • See if close by vegetation are competing for area or vitamins
  • If issues persist, check your soil’s pH and nutrient content material

Bonus: Pure Pest Management Advantages

Do you know lemon bee balm plant does extra than simply look fairly? Its robust lemony-mint scent helps repel backyard pests like mosquitoes, aphids, and spider mites. The important oils it produces are just like citronella and thymol—each identified for his or her insect-repelling properties.

Attempt This:

  • Plant round veggie beds to preserve pests away
  • Combine in with tomatoes or squash to confuse bugs
  • Dry the leaves and make your personal pest-repellent sachets

Bee Balm plant

7 Causes Your Lemon Bee Balm Isn’t Blooming

  1. Not Sufficient Solar

Bee balm loves daylight. With out 6 to eight hours of direct solar every day, it could develop tall and leafy—however by no means flower.
Repair it: Transfer it to a sunnier spot or trim again overhanging branches.

  1. Too A lot Nitrogen

Nitrogen helps with leafy progress, however an excessive amount of of it could imply zero blooms.
Repair it: Use a balanced fertilizer or one with extra phosphorus. Search for labels like 5-10-5 or 10-10-10.

  1. Watering Issues

Overwatering can rot the roots. Underwatering causes stress. Both method, no flowers.
Repair it: Water deeply, however solely when the highest inch of soil feels dry. Add mulch to assist retain moisture.

  1. Soil Struggles

In case your soil doesn’t drain effectively or has an off pH, your plant gained’t be joyful.
Repair it: Combine in compost, and take into account including perlite or sand. Check your soil for those who’re not sure.

  1. Stress or Illness

Bee balm is hard—however not invincible. Fungal illnesses or insect injury can mess with blooming.
Repair it: Trim off broken components, use neem oil or pure sprays, and water on the base to stop mildew.

  1. Mistaken Timing on Pruning

Pruning on the incorrect time can truly take away creating buds.
Repair it: Prune in early spring and deadhead spent blooms all through summer time. Keep away from slicing all of it down earlier than winter.

  1. It’s Nonetheless a Child

In the event you grew your bee balm from seed, it would want a season or two earlier than flowering.
Repair it: Be affected person! Or plant a extra mature one subsequent time if you would like quicker outcomes.

Quick Repair: What to Do Proper Now

Right here’s a fast motion plan to assist your lemon bee balm bloom once more—quick.

Step 1: Test the Solar

Use a gardening app or simply observe for just a few days—does your plant get full solar?

Step 2: Feed It Properly

Swap to a bloom-friendly fertilizer and skip the high-nitrogen ones.

Step 3: Modify Your Watering

Water deeply a few times per week, not every day. Use mulch to even issues out.

Step 4: Search for Pests or Illness

Flip over leaves, examine close to the bottom, and deal with any points as quickly as you notice them.

Step 5: Enhance Soil

Combine in compost, break up any compact areas, and check pH for those who’re caught.

Maintain Your Plant Glad 12 months-Spherical

Seasonal Bee Balm Guidelines

Season What to Do
Spring Gentle pruning, fertilize, divide if it’s crowded
Summer time Water frequently, deadhead, look ahead to pests
Fall Clear up lifeless stems, add compost
Winter Mulch in chilly areas—don’t prune till spring

Companion Planting Ideas

Pair lemon bee balm with:

Good neighbors:

  • Yarrow
  • Coneflower
  • Lavender
  • Salvia

Not-so-great companions:

  • Different mint-family vegetation (they’ll combat for area and vitamins)

FAQs: Lemon Bee Balm Not Blooming

Q1. Does lemon bee balm want full solar to flower?
Sure! With out 6–8 hours of direct mild, it in all probability gained’t bloom effectively.

Q2. Ought to I minimize it again after flowering?
Completely—deadheading can deliver on extra blooms later within the season.

Q3. How lengthy does it take to bloom from seed?
Normally 2–3 months, although some vegetation skip flowering the primary yr.

This autumn. Can it develop in pots?
Sure, simply make sure that the pot drains effectively and will get full solar. Don’t let it dry out!

Q5. What are indicators of an excessive amount of fertilizer?
Plenty of leaves, few (or no) flowers, burnt ideas, and crusty soil are large clues.

Remaining Takeaways

  • Lemon bee balm blooms greatest with full solar, well-draining soil, and low-to-medium fertilizer ranges.
  • In case your plant seems wholesome however isn’t blooming, examine mild, vitamins, and moisture first.
  • Don’t neglect: this plant pulls double responsibility by attracting pollinators and deterring pests.
  • Deal with it effectively, and it’ll reward you with a burst of shade and buzz each summer time.

Nonetheless no flowers? Snap a pic, jot down your signs, and drop us a remark—we’ll provide help to troubleshoot. Or try our full rising information to lemon bee balm from seed.

Desire a free bloom-boosting guidelines? Subscribe to our e-newsletter and get knowledgeable ideas straight to your inbox!

ios – Firebase Electronic mail Hyperlink Migration to linkDomain answer


I exploit Firebase Authentication with e mail hyperlinks (passwordless hyperlink, password reset, e mail verification) and a customized Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks area set for dynamic hyperlinks.

In response to Firebase Documentation, I ought to migrate from the Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks Area to the Firebase Internet hosting Area or proceed utilizing the customized Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks area:

If you would like to proceed utilizing any of your customized Firebase Internet hosting domains and even your customized Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks area to be your new related area, utilizing the directions within the Customise Cellular Hyperlinks part, adapt the steps to match the meant area you want to make use of.

If I perceive the documentation accurately, I can configure the Firebase undertaking to both use HOSTING_DOMAIN or FIREBASE_DYNAMIC_LINK:

const updateRequest = {
mobileLinksConfig: {
    area: 'HOSTING_DOMAIN'
}
}
const updateProjectConfig = () => {
projectConfigManager.updateProjectConfig(updateRequest)
.then((response) => {
    // up to date undertaking config
}).catch((error) => {
    console.log('Error updating the undertaking:', error);
});
}

I need to maintain utilizing the customized area, so I have never modified the configuration.

Now, for the cell app code, I ought to exchange the dynamicLinkDomain property with linkDomain within the ActionCodeSettings:

Re-use your customized Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks area.
You possibly can re-use any of your Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks domains as your customized area. Nevertheless, any Firebase Dynamic Hyperlinks performance will not be supported (for instance, customers can’t be redirected to the app retailer if app is not put in on their machine).
Ship an authentication hyperlink to the person’s e mail tackle with an up to date ActionCodeSettings object with a customized area as linkDomain.

let actionCodeSettings = ActionCodeSettings()
actionCodeSettings.url = URL(string: "https://www.instance.com")
// The sign-in operation has to all the time be accomplished within the app.
actionCodeSettings.handleCodeInApp = true
actionCodeSettings.setIOSBundleID(Bundle.primary.bundleIdentifier!)
actionCodeSettings.linkDomain = "customized.area"

Auth.auth().sendSignInLink(toEmail: e mail,
                           actionCodeSettings: actionCodeSettings)

Nevertheless, after I try this, the Firebase would not use the customized dynamic hyperlinks area however the default area (web page.hyperlink) we used earlier than setting the customized one. So it looks as if the linkDomain property would not do something, or possibly I am doing it flawed.

Is it potential that linkDomain is meant to work with internet hosting domains solely, and with that, I ought to configure undertaking for cell hyperlinks as HOSTING_DOMAIN however use the customized area?

Saildrone brings its USVs to Europe with Denmark subsidiary

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Saildrone brings its USVs to Europe with Denmark subsidiary

Powered by renewable wind and photo voltaic vitality, Saildrone USVs present long-duration operations measured in months, not days. | Supply: Saildrone

Saildrone Inc. this week introduced that it’s establishing a European subsidiary in Denmark. The Alameda, Calif.-based firm stated it goals to handle the pressing want for maritime area consciousness in European waters.

Introduced on the Maritime Business Symposium on the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., Saildrone Denmark can be primarily based in Copenhagen.

“Given the current sabotage of vital undersea infrastructure within the Baltic Sea, the necessity for everlasting maritime area consciousness has by no means been better,” stated Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO. “I’m delighted to announce the institution of Saildrone Denmark to facilitate our European operations and help allied nations, at this vital time for regional maritime safety.”

With rising geopolitical tensions and rising exercise similar to sabotage of telecommunication cables within the Baltic Sea, Saildrone stated the necessity for persistent maritime intelligence is paramount.

Saildrone claimed that its uncrewed floor autos (USVs) supply endurance and resilience. They’re able to working autonomously for prolonged durations on the earth’s harshest maritime environments, stated the firm.

It added that its methods can gather real-time, correct information for navies, regulation enforcement, civil authorities, and business organizations. Saildrone stated it has sailed greater than 1.6 million nautical miles from the Excessive North to the Southern Ocean. Its methods have spent over 46,000 days at sea within the harshest ocean circumstances on the planet.

The Voyager USV earned Saildrone a 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its mapping of beforehand unexplored areas of the Gulf of Maine. Be taught extra at the RBR50 Gala on the Robotics Summit & Expo.


SITE AD for the 2025 Robotics Summit registration.
Register now so you do not miss out!


Saildrone goals to advance seafloor mapping

Geared up with a set of superior sensors, Saildrone’s methods ship real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) above and under the floor. This permits the detection of anomalous habits, monitoring of vessel site visitors, and the safety of nationwide pursuits in strategically delicate waters.

Along with floor surveillance, Saildrone autos can conduct detailed mapping of the ocean ground. The corporate stated it hopes to ship a vital benefit in monitoring and securing subsea infrastructure. This consists of pipelines, communication cables, and offshore vitality platforms.

Pairing high-resolution seafloor imagery with proprietary machine studying algorithms permits early detection of potential threats or anomalies, famous the corporate. This enhances Europe’s means to safeguard its undersea belongings towards each typical and hybrid threats.

Denmark is uniquely located within the middle of the European maritime setting, with coastlines on each the Baltic and North Seas. Saildrone Denmark would be the hub for all European operations. It should make use of native employees to supply help, coaching, and mission-planning capabilities to regional prospects and companions.

Earlier this week, Saildrone built-in its Surveyor USV with the BlueSentry thin-line towed array from Thales Australia. The result’s a system for autonomous long-endurance undersea maritime area consciousness, or MDA, for Australia, the U.S., and the U.Okay.

Reflecting its deal with responding to geopolitical and safety wants, the corporate additionally named Vice Admiral (ret.) John Mustin as president.

 

Brokers convey the position of AI in improvement from reactive to proactive


AI brokers usually are not simply making builders extra productive, they’re reworking the best way builders are utilizing AI to construct software program. 

In response to Emilio Salvador, vice chairman of technique and developer relations at GitLab, the primary wave of AI capabilities for builders, like GitHub Copilot or GitLab Duo, have been reactive instruments for serving to builders do duties like code completion, clarification, or refactoring. 

“In these instances, these add-ons have been very effectively outlined,” Salvador stated throughout a latest episode of the What the Dev podcast. “They have been constrained to particular workflows, they usually have been capable of be very efficient, however at all times reactive and beneath human supervision on a regular basis.”

He went on to clarify that what we’re seeing with brokers, together with enhancements in generative AI and reasoning AI, is that they’re capable of be proactive and tackle extra advanced duties—in some instances even making choices on their very own.  

“Will probably be as much as the developer to determine when to make use of these brokers to take duties that previously would have taken months, and they’re going to occur within the background. And when these duties are accomplished, the human or the developer will have the ability to see the ultimate output,” he stated. 

In response to Salvador, the transition from utilizing reactive AI instruments to brokers is a step-by-step course of, so it’s not essentially an enormous transition for builders to take care of. 

He recommends improvement groups begin with small low-risk initiatives. As an example, he’s seen a whole lot of success with small groups utilizing brokers for prototyping and proof of ideas. These are duties the place you don’t want prime quality outcomes, however you do want one thing rapidly. 

For instance, lately, Gerry Tan, the CEO of the startup accelerator Y Combinator, stated that a couple of quarter of the present startups of their program have round 95% of their code written by AI. 

“That sounds a bit scary, however however, what which means for founders is that you just don’t want a workforce of fifty or 100 engineers,” Tan advised CNBC. “You don’t have to boost as a lot. The capital goes for much longer.”

Salvador stated, “in these instances, that’s a implausible instance. You will have an thought, you might want to go to market with one thing rapidly. You want a proof of idea to validate and iterate on. These are the perfect locations for groups to start out with, to judge the capabilities and likewise to what extent they can be utilized of their context.”

In fact, it’s essential to remember the fact that “throwing know-how at an issue just isn’t going to resolve something,” he stated. Growth groups should be strategic about how they use these applied sciences. Salvador stated that AI is an incredible instrument, however it may be misused too, so groups should be defining a technique and taking it one step at a time to achieve success.

He additionally recommends organizations do not forget that people are the limiting consider any of those initiatives. “We’re all people. We have to undertake our know-how and perceive and embrace the worth that it brings. And I feel that’s why, like in some other when you consider embracing or adopting a brand new know-how, that change administration course of is at all times underestimated.”

His recommendation could be to start out constructing, establish the applied sciences you wish to use, discover champions inside your group that perceive and may talk the worth to others, and have a transparent sense of path on the way you wish to use these applied sciences.