All posts tagged: flexible

Addressing the challenges of flexible plastic waste

Addressing the challenges of flexible plastic waste

Published by skeptic

Jean-Loup Masson, Circular Solutions Center Director at The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, discusses the Alliance’s recent report on flexible plastic waste management In a bid to tackle the escalating issue of flexible plastic waste, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste has released its latest report, titled ‘The Challenges and Solutions for Flexible Plastic Packaging Waste.’ By adopting a whole-of-life perspective on the management of flexible film waste, the report evaluates the current landscape and necessary interventions, outlining the Alliance’s proactive approach to combatting this issue and featuring specific projects being implemented in the UK and across Europe. To discuss the challenge of flexible plastic waste, and provide insights into the report, The Innovation Platform heard from with Jean-Loup Masson, Circular Solutions Center Director at The Alliance to End Plastic Waste. What are flexible plastics, and what key challenges do they pose in terms of waste that need to be addressed? Flexible plastics are lightweight, versatile materials that have become an essential part of everyday life. They have a relatively low cost and low carbon …

Microsoft Lays Out Next Windows Updates: Faster, Lighter and More Flexible

Microsoft Lays Out Next Windows Updates: Faster, Lighter and More Flexible

Published by skeptic

In the Windows Insider Blog on Friday, Microsoft outlined some of the upcoming changes that its Insiders — beta testers — should expect in the next few months. Among them are less intrusive Windows Update operations, improvements to Copilot integration, streamlining of the start menu and taskbar, fewer notifications, a smaller memory footprint, greater stability and more. They’re all welcome — and overdue. Microsoft plans to be “more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted.” In addition, widgets will provide information “more intentionally by default, keeping content glanceable and reducing unnecessary interruptions.” The whole point of widgets is to give the user the ability to understand information at a glance and to be nonintrusive. It means you’ll be able to personalize or turn them off more easily and generally reduce the number of notifications. One of the big performance updates will be a reduction in the operating system’s memory usage, leaving more available for the programs you run. This is huge, not just because Windows …

Flexible nylon film generates electricity from compression

Flexible nylon film generates electricity from compression

Published by Jenni Sidey

A thin sheet of nylon does not look like much on its own. But in lab tests, a film made by researchers at RMIT University kept generating electricity after being folded, stretched, and even run over by a car, again and again. That kind of toughness matters because the basic trick the film uses is simple: squeeze it, and it produces an electric charge. Materials that do this are called piezoelectric, from the Greek word for “to press.” Quartz, some ceramics, and even bone can behave this way. Piezoelectric parts already sit inside modern vehicles, including fuel injectors, parking sensors, and airbag systems. The RMIT team’s aim is a flexible alternative that can survive real-world punishment and harvest energy from everyday pressure and motion. Members of the RMIT University research team with the newly developed nylon‑film energy‑harvesting device. Pictured (L–R): Dr Yemima Ehrnst, Dr Peter Sherrell, PhD researcher Robert Komljenovic and Associate Professor Amgad Rezk. (CREDIT: Will Wright, RMIT University) Turning tough nylon into an energy generator The work is led by Distinguished Professor Leslie …

This flexible phone accessory effectively makes cases pointless for me

This flexible phone accessory effectively makes cases pointless for me

Published by skeptic

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. How many times have you lost your phone or left your keys behind somewhere? If you’re anything like me, I’m betting quite a lot. Thankfully, this doesn’t always turn into a bad day where you need to replace your phone or call a locksmith thanks to tough phone cases and AirTags. But it can, and I prefer prevention over cure, which is why I like to tether important stuff to myself, especially when I’m traveling or hiking. And the tether I’ve been using for many years now is from a US company called KeyBak. Also: Can this $25 multimeter hold its own against my $250 unit? I put it to the test  KeyBak makes a few different styles of tether, with clips and belt clips and even belt loops. There are also different retraction strengths and cord lengths available, depending on the load that you want to attach.  My favorite KeyBak, however, is the Ratch-It.  The Ratch-It features a 36-inch Kevlar cord wound onto a …

Cozey Neptune Sofa Bed Review: Firm but Flexible

Cozey Neptune Sofa Bed Review: Firm but Flexible

Published by skeptic

If the words “sleeper sofa” still conjure images of a musty, squeaky, lumpy pull-out mattress with the thickness and support of a peanut butter sandwich, you may want to take a look at what’s been going on in the world of convertible furniture lately. Modern-day sleeper sofas now come with luxe, real mattresses, like the Tempur-Pedic in Joybird’s Eliot, or offer multiple sitting and sleeping configurations, like the Koala Wanda. The Neptune, from Montreal-based, direct-to-consumer home goods brand Cozey, aims for something entirely different: a couch with modular components that can be moved or added to, along with seats that pull out to make either a twin- or full-sized bed, depending on couch size. Add on storage underneath each seat and machine-washable fabric, and you’ve got a truly versatile setup that’s ideal for guest rooms and living rooms alike. That is, as long as you like things firm. Build-a-Bed Cozey offers a variety of Neptune packages, from chairs and loveseats to five-seat sectionals and everything in between. Bed size options include twin or full, with optional storage …

When Being the Flexible One Starts to Hurt

When Being the Flexible One Starts to Hurt

Published by Jenni Sidey

For Sam and Avery, the argument didn’t begin as an argument. It came up the way it often did, in the margins of an already long day. Avery had stayed late at work again. Sam had handled dinner, emails from the school, and a tense phone call with Avery’s mother, who still stumbled over pronouns and pretended not to notice when corrected. Later that night, when things finally quieted down, Sam mentioned feeling stretched thin. It wasn’t accusatory. They were tired. Avery listened, nodded, and apologized. They explained how demanding work had been, how hard it was to leave earlier, and how much pressure they were under to keep things steady. Sam had heard all of this before and didn’t disagree with it. They wanted to say more about how the new routine had been affecting them, but they stopped themselves. They didn’t want to cause friction. After a pause, Sam said quietly, “I feel like I’m always the one adjusting.” Avery frowned, surprised. “I didn’t realize it felt that way,” they said. “I thought …

Flexible working should be an opportunity not a burden

Flexible working should be an opportunity not a burden

Published by skeptic

Flexible working is increasingly common in many workplaces. But the adoption of flexible practices in schools has been slow and patchy. For many leaders, requests for flexible working feel like a procedural hurdle to process and often decline. But the passage in December of the Employment Rights Act marks a significant shift in how flexible working requests must be handled. While it has not become an automatic right, the bar for refusing a request has been raised, and schools that fail to adapt will expose themselves to legal risks. Having a blanket policy of no flexible working is not a safe approach. What has changed? Schools can still refuse flexible working requests, and the eight statutory grounds for doing so remain in place. However, refusals must now be “reasonable” – a higher legal test. It is no longer enough to just state one of the eight reasons. Leaders must demonstrate why a refusal is reasonable in the specific circumstances of that request. Consultation with the employee is mandatory, so schools must meaningfully engage with the …

Ghostbusters star, 80, reveals exercise he does three times each day to stay flexible

Ghostbusters star, 80, reveals exercise he does three times each day to stay flexible

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Actor Ernie Hudson has revealed his secret to staying fit and flexible at 80 years old. Hudson, who starred as Winston Zeddemore in the 1984 Ghostbusters film, spoke about his daily exercise routine Monday on Today after previously showing off his lean figure in an issue of Men’s Health earlier this month. “When I get up, I like to do a set of pushups first thing and throughout the day,” the legendary performer said, explaining that he does three rounds of pushups daily. “By the end of the day, I should have at least 100 pushups.” When the Today co-hosts appeared stunned at his daily commitment, Hudson insisted that spreading out the sessions made a difference. “When you say 100 pushups, we’re not talking about a manner of minutes,” he explained. …