England could copy Wales' 20mph default speed limit with MPs hearing evidence this week

A 20mph default speed limit could be heading for England, with MPs set to quiz experts this week on whether to implement the strategy already seen in Wales.

The Transport Committee’s third evidence session takes place on Wednesday, July 15, when members will question a panel of experts on the topic as part of an ongoing inquiry into the Government’s road safety strategy.

Setting local speed limits is currently the job of councils and National Highways, but the strategy commits to updating the guidance on how those limits are decided – and Wednesday’s session will look at whether England should go further and adopt 20mph as a national default in built-up areas.

The uncomfortable part for anyone hoping the numbers would knock the idea on the head is that a 2025 parliamentary briefing found the safety case broadly stacks up.

There is, it says, strong evidence that 20mph limits and zones are associated with reduced casualties and fatalities. In Wales, casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads fell by 24% in April to June 2024, compared with the same period the year before the new limits were introduced.

Motorcyclists have never warmed to blanket 20mph zones: holding a bike steady at such low speeds is awkward, demands constant attention to the speedo rather than the road, and does little for machine control. Many riders also question how much safety benefit the limits actually deliver once the novelty wears off.

Meanwhile, in other news: EU satellite speed limiter plans could see vehicles automatically slowed in 20mph zones. The technology already exists to warn drivers about speeding – now the EU is examining whether vehicles should actively prevent it. So much for the freedom of the open road...

www.motorcyclenews.com

The US government warns that Russia state hackers are coming after your router

The US federal government is warning users of home and small office routers to secure their devices as Russia state hackers continue to mass-compromise them for use in obscuring nefarious actions against sensitive organizations in the public and private sectors.

Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered. The US government has occasionally issued covert commands and taken other steps to disinfect routers. Google and other companies have also worked to disrupt the massive botnets that control compromised routers in lockstep. The actions to date are little more than whack-a-mole exercises as the operators simply replace their botnets with new ones.

When was the last time you checked your router settings, or to see if it's running up to date firmware? Need a hand: contact Donline.

www.arstechnica.com

AI-driven datacenter builds - drive Microsoft's emissions up a quarter in one year

Microsoft says it matched its entire electricity consumption with renewable energy last year. The bad news is it also increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent due to datacenter construction.

The cloud and software biz has released a 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report, claiming its environmental sustainability work is entering a new phase due to rapid technological change.

A global shift towards Artificial Intelligence is reshaping economies, the report claims, which is becoming “foundational” to how technology is built and used.

Producing the infrastructure to support AI, however, is also upping demand for energy, water, land, and materials required to support it, Microsoft admits.

www.theregister.com

SK Hynix CEO warns 2027 will be memory’s “worst year” ever, with shortages set to outlast the decade

Memory shortages have gripped all aspects of the tech industry, and it seems to have become the norm these days. As the supply crunch continues, the CEO of SK Hynix, one of the three largest DRAM producers, has said that things are about to get much worse for the memory market.

Talking to Reuters at the commemoration of SK Hynix's Nasdaq Trading Debut of its ADR, CEO Kwak Noh-jung stated that the memory industry will see its "worst-ever" supply shortages in the coming year (2027). SK Hynix has also forecasted that, given the current market demand, they will fall way short of fulfilling the market demand, and that will continue beyond 2030.

...Heightened demand from AI customers and multi-year agreements further put pressure on the market...

Meanwhile, in other news: Microsoft advises users to throw out their perfectly good working PCs - and buy new ones so they can "upgrade" from Windows 10 - to an inferior Windows 11 operating system. That's if you can find a replacement system / at a sensible price! It's a mad world, isn't it?...

www.wccftech.com

Meta’s teen safety case just became a $1.4 trillion existential threat - almost equivalent to its roughly $1.5 trillion market value

Thirty-three states have banded together to sue Meta, alleging that the company was exploiting its young users on Instagram and Facebook for profit, including by collecting data from children without parental consent. Four of those states—California, New Jersey, Colorado and Kentucky—also claim that the company misled consumers about the addictive design features on the platforms, thereby causing mental health problems in children who got hooked from an early age.

The damages requested by those four states add up to a whopping $1.4 trillion, Meta said in a recent court filing, a figure that would allegedly go even higher with the other penalties the attorneys general seek to add. The number is high by many standards but especially when compared to the company’s market capitalization, which is just above $1.5 trillion.

Meta has denied the allegations, and recently attempted yet failed to get the addiction claims dismissed. In the latest court submission, the attorneys for Meta argued that the $1.4 trillion in damages was unsubstantiated and disproportionate.

www.gizmodo.com

Today's Reading: On the present moment, and our plans for the future

Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. 

Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment “as to the Lord.” 

It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. 

The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.

I remember being taught (many years ago) to set personal short, medium & long term plans (goals), and keep checking progress, to stay on target. A waste of time, & poor idea.

I love life, and by the Grace of God accept & am grateful for whatever comes my way. 

Take your plans easy, don't overstress yourself. 

Try to discern God's will, base your plans around that. 

Commit your plans to the Lord. 

Pray they are His will: if they are you will succeed! 
Always be flexible!

By: C.S. Lewis

From The Weight of Glory

Reading for today: Glory to God!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!

Read all of Ephesians 3  at Bible Gateway