Dive Brief: - The Department of Justice granted local governments a one-year extension to comply with website and mobile app accessibility standards required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. - Localities with populations of 50,000 and above now have until April 26, 2027, to meet the new standards, while smaller local governments must comply by April 26, 2028. - National League of Cities CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony called the extension “a sound decision” that benefits localities. “The cost and staff time necessary to ensure that online content is fully compliant with the rule’s accessibility standards is significant, particularly for smaller communities,” Anthony said in a news release. Dive Insight: The DOJ adopted website accessibility rules for states and local governments in 2024 to protect individuals from disability-based discrimination in local government services, programs and activities, according to the DOJ. Some local governments have been working toward digital accessibility for years and are well-positioned to meet the deadline, Brenden Elwood, a North Bend, Washington, councilmember and CivicPlus vice president of market research, told Smart Cities Dive in an email. Smaller local governments and special districts are more concerned about meeting the standard on time, however, because often “they lack budget, specialized staff, or sometimes the baseline awareness that these deadlines were coming,” Elwood said. With local government budgets running lean, capacity is a key pain point for implementing the changes, according to Elwood. Understanding what accessibility entails and the sheer volume of web content that must be updated are also challenges, he said. Elwood recommended that local governments take inventory of the work and resources they have, assess the tasks ahead and be open with constituents about efforts to meet the standards. The DOJ offers a “first steps” guide for localities. “Accessibility needs to be treated as an ongoing
Apr 22, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Socioeconomic and spatial segregation informs who benefits from urban growth and who bears its environmental and social costs. In this issue, we explore how infrastructure, labor markets and global policies actively reshape these divides. From the early maps of Park and Burgess1 to the stark portraits of American Apartheid2, cities have been read through the lines that separate groups in space. The articles in this issue show that those lines are drawn not only by where people live but also by how infrastructure routes, labor markets and global initiatives allocate clean air, access and recognition. We move beyond the residential map to the everyday systems that make segregation durable — and sometimes visible in new ways. In their Article, Zālīte and colleagues trace how the rise of technology work is quietly rearranging ethnic and class boundaries in Tallinn, Estonia. Minority technology workers gain access to higher-income neighborhoods and areas with a mixture of class and/or ethnic identities, whereas minority individuals who work in non-technology fields become more isolated in lower-status districts, which deepens class-based segregation within minority communities even as some ethnic divides narrow. Urban infrastructures often promise integration — connecting regions, equalizing access and sharing the benefits of growth. An Article by Liu and colleagues shows a more troubling reality: China’s high-speed rail network improves air quality and public health more in urban areas than in nearby rural zones, which widens the urban–rural gap in pollution and cardiovascular mortality. Rural air pollution is often overlooked: their analysis of firm-level waste gas emission, satellite-based particulate matter and health outcomes reveal that rural areas are at least as polluted as cities, but benefit less from infrastructure-driven improvements. These unequal gains are linked to a redistribution of resources and economic activity towards urban cores, which amplifies environmental injustice and reinforces patterns of
Apr 22, 2026 · via nature.com
Table of Contents Market Overview The global Automatic Number Plate Recognition System market was valued at USD 3.4 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.0 Billion by 2034. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period 2025–2034. Increasing adoption of intelligent traffic systems and automated enforcement technologies continues to support this growth. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems are advanced surveillance technologies that capture and analyze vehicle license plates using cameras and optical character recognition software. Governments, transport authorities, and enterprises use these systems to monitor traffic, identify vehicles, automate toll payments, and improve security operations. Get further insight into the global trends shaping the future of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition System industry. Get Free Sample Public safety agencies, toll operators, airports, and parking management providers represent major end users of ANPR solutions. Cities deploy these systems to enforce traffic regulations and monitor urban mobility patterns. Meanwhile, commercial facilities adopt ANPR for automated access control and streamlined vehicle entry management. Technological advancements significantly improve system capabilities across modern deployments. Artificial intelligence imaging, edge-processing cameras, and cloud-based analytics platforms allow faster recognition and data processing. Consequently, organizations can monitor large traffic networks while maintaining high operational accuracy and efficiency. Government policies and digital infrastructure programs further accelerate industry adoption. Many countries invest in smart highways, automated toll collection, and surveillance networks. These initiatives promote standardized vehicle monitoring frameworks and support large-scale deployment of ANPR technologies across urban transport infrastructure. Industry data highlights strong technological performance within modern systems. Recognition accuracy rates typically range between 90% and 98%. Additionally, access to the UK National ANPR Service costs around USD 45,908.8 annually. These figures demonstrate the scale of operational investment required for nationwide vehicle monitoring. Key Takeaways - The Automatic Number Plate
Apr 22, 2026 · via scoop.market.us
Figures Abstract Energy efficiency and balanced load distribution remain persistent challenges in the Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL), significantly affecting the lifetime and reliability of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. This study introduces EDCC-RPL, a novel multi-metric objective function that integrates Expected Transmission Count (ETX), end-to-end delay, and child count through an adaptive additive model. Unlike conventional single or dual metric schemes such as OF0, MRHOF, and EA-EPL, EDCC-RPL simultaneously enhances energy efficiency, network stability, and scalability. Extensive simulations in Contiki Cooja with 20–50 nodes demonstrate up to 32% lower energy consumption, 18% higher Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), and 50–60% reduction in parent switching (churn) in dense topologies. These improvements validate EDCC-RPL’s novelty in achieving joint optimization of reliability, delay, and load balancing. The proposed approach provides a practical and scalable solution for sustainable IoT networks in smart cities, industrial monitoring, and environmental sensing applications. The implementation code of the proposed EDCC-RPL algorithm is publicly available at https://github.com/drmasifhabib/edcc-rpl-github for reproducibility and reuse. Citation: Habib MA, Albarrak AM, Ahmad M, S. Ahmed AE, Raza N, Sajid Imran HM, et al. (2026) EDCC-RPL: A novel energy-efficient and load-balanced objective function for RPL Routing in IoT networks enhancing network lifetime and reliability. PLoS One 21(4): e0346827. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346827 Editor: Joanna Tindall, PLOS: Public Library of Science, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Received: September 6, 2025; Accepted: March 24, 2026; Published: April 21, 2026 Copyright: © 2026 Habib et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper. The implementation code of the proposed EDCC-RPL algorithm is publicly available at https://github.com/drmasifhabib/edcc-rpl-github for reproducibility and
Apr 22, 2026 · via journals.plos.org
Cities worldwide continue to expand, prompting governments and businesses to adopt technologies that improve efficiency, sustainability, and quality of life. Smart city initiatives already rely on the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and big data to manage urban systems. The blockchain strengthens these systems by introducing secure, transparent, and decentralized infrastructure. Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC), rapid urbanization and strong public investment continue to accelerate smart city development. Governments and institutions increasingly explore blockchain as a foundational technology to support secure data exchange, efficient services, and digital trust. Enabling transparent and efficient governance Governments aim to deliver services quickly, clearly, and consistently. The blockchain supports this goal by recording transactions in tamper-resistant ledgers that anyone with the necessary permissions can verify. Smart contracts automate administrative processes such as permit approvals, tax collection, and procurement. These systems execute instantly upon meeting conditions, improving efficiency and reducing delays. Research also highlights blockchain’s efficiency in civic participation. One study found that as little as 0.12 percent of a population is necessary to represent the whole population’s behavior, demonstrating how efficiently cities can manage participatory governance. In South Korea, cities continue to implement blockchain-based public services, including voting and document verification systems. These initiatives strengthen accountability and encourage citizen engagement. Enhancing data security and privacy Smart cities generate massive volumes of data through connected devices such as sensors, cameras, and smart meters. City leaders actively prioritize securing this information while maintaining accessibility. The blockchain distributes data across decentralized networks, ensuring each transaction remains encrypted and permanently recorded. It stays secure by assigning each block a 256-bit cryptographic hash, which produces a unique 64-character alphanumeric string that links directly to the previous block. This structure ensures even the smallest data change results in a completely new hash, thereby strengthening the integrity of the entire system.
Apr 22, 2026 · via technode.global
Kazakh schoolgirls to present smart city project in Italy Two students from the Karaganda Nazarbayev Intellectual School earned a ticket to an international hackathon in Italy to showcase a project aimed at transforming urban infrastructure. Their idea has already been recognized in Kazakhstan and is now stepping onto the global stage, Qazinform News Agency reports. The project, developed by Yerkenaz Kazhiakhmetova and Medina Marat, focuses on analysis and planning of accessible urban environments. The project already won acclaim at the ITECX – First Fibonacci International Congress on Engineering, Technology and Mathematics, earning a spot at the hackathon in Rome. The congress brought teams from every corner of Kazakhstan. The students worked on the project for nearly two years, guided by teacher Gulnaz Zhomartova. According to their mentor, the project is based on the analysis of accessibility of schools, hospitals, and kindergartens using geoinformation systems. They created an interactive map of social facilities, street networks, and administrative boundaries. The system not only records the current situation but also proposes solutions. It includes an Emergency Mode, which allows assessing ambulance arrival times, as well as a Future 2030 module that forecasts the development of urban infrastructure based on population growth. A separate block is dedicated to transport solutions from optimizing routes to expanding bicycle lanes and pedestrian zones. The analysis also incorporates environmental factors and the needs of different population groups. Before the international event, they plan to expand the map to other Kazakh cities and integrate machine learning for more precise analysis and forecasts. Noteworthy, Kazakh high school student scores perfect 1600 on SAT.
Apr 22, 2026 · via qazinform.com
Participants communicate at the ICT Africa Summit in Algiers, Algeria, April 21, 2026. The ICT Africa Summit kicked off on Tuesday in Algiers, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and startups to explore Africa's accelerating digital transformation and the future of its technology ecosystem. (Xinhua) ALGIERS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The ICT Africa Summit kicked off on Tuesday in Algiers, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and startups to explore Africa's accelerating digital transformation and the future of its technology ecosystem. Smart cities, digital infrastructure and telecommunications development are among the key themes of the summit, alongside efforts to modernize urban systems and expand access to digital services. Local and foreign exhibitors are showcasing a range of technologies in telecommunications, cloud computing and smart solutions aimed at improving connectivity and supporting development projects across the continent. Key discussions at the summit focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain and the Internet of Things, as African countries seek to strengthen innovation and expand digital infrastructure. The summit also serves as a platform for building partnerships, with business-to-business meetings and exchanges aimed at turning ideas into concrete projects. Analysts say that as African countries accelerate their digital transition, cooperation with global partners, including China, is expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping the continent's digital future. ■ Participants communicate at the ICT Africa Summit in Algiers, Algeria, April 21, 2026. The ICT Africa Summit kicked off on Tuesday in Algiers, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and startups to explore Africa's accelerating digital transformation and the future of its technology ecosystem. (Xinhua)
Apr 22, 2026 · via english.news.cn
Dozens of UBTECH industrial humanoid robots, Walker S1, are collaboratively handling large and heavy payload bins. Photoï¼UBTECH Editor's Note: Currently, China's economy is steadily advancing along the path of high-quality development, even as domestic and international circumstances become increasingly complex. Some Western media, due to misunderstanding or bias, have repeatedly questioned or even distorted China's economic development. Accordingly, the Global Times launches the "Q&A on China's Economy" column to publish opinion pieces to present facts and clarify perceptions. Are Chinese robots "only able to dance and run"? This has become a recurring question raised by some Western media outlets in recent months. A British outlet recently commented on robot performances in China, claiming that what these robots do is the "result of being trained for a routine hundreds or thousands of times" and that "stage performance does not equate to industrial robustness." Some European media have even gone so far as to ask in their headlines: "China's robots can dance. What else can they do?" The problem with this line of thinking begins with a conceptual sleight of hand: equating "being able to dance and run" with "being only able to dance and run." The difference between the two is obvious. What the public sees as robots "dancing" or "running" is, in fact, a visual demonstration of technological breakthroughs. For a robot to synchronize precisely with musical rhythms, execute smooth and natural movements, and maintain balance during complex routines, it must rely on high-precision servo control systems, efficient algorithmic coordination, and the stable support of core components. This represents an extreme test of core technologies such as balance perception and motion control. In other words, the very technologies that enable robots to "dance" are fundamentally the same as those required for practical applications such as industrial production, household services, disaster
Apr 22, 2026 · via globaltimes.cn
Berlin, 21 April 2026 Speaking at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned that rising fossil fuel costs and global instability are driving “fossil-fuel driven stagflation,” urging stronger climate cooperation and faster implementation of clean energy solutions ahead of COP33. UN climate chief: “Climate cooperation is key to fending off the twin-reapers of global heating and fossil fuel cost chaos” UN climate chief warns of fossil-fuel stagflation, calls for accelerated clean energy action Honorable Ministers, distinguished delegates, dear friends. These are perilous times. We hope for a swift, lasting peace in the Middle East, and every conflict. But this latest war has further locked-in much higher fossil fuel costs for months and likely years to come, delivering a gut-punch to every nation and billions of households. Fossil-fuel driven stagflation is now stalking economies – driving up prices, driving down growth, pushing budgets deeper into quagmires of debt, and stripping away governments’ policy options and autonomy. Climate cooperation is key to fending off the twin-reapers of global heating and fossil fuel cost chaos. Clean energy offers security and affordability – returning sovereignty to nations and their peoples. The need to accelerate action has never been clearer, and that demands every tool at our disposal. Negotiations are one – and they remain critical. They’ve delivered landmark commitments, including at the first global stocktake at COP28. Now, in this era of implementation – we must turn them into projects on the ground, by breaking-down global targets into achievable chunks, matching them with solutions, and delivering. So that by the second global stocktake at COP33, we are on track to meet the commitments made at the first, with this international process tracking progress, helping to show what’s working, and where barriers are holding us back. Elevating the
Apr 21, 2026 · via ieu-monitoring.com
Asia Pacific Small Engine Market Size & Share 2026-2035 Market Size - By Engine Type (Vertical, Horizontal); By Energy Resource (Gasoline, Diesel, Gas, Electric); By Engine Displacement (Up to 100 CC, 100 CC to 250 CC, 250 CC to 550 CC); By Application (Lawn Mower, Snow Blower, Garden Tiller, Chain Saw, Go Kart, Pressure Washer, Water Pump, Others (Weed Trimmer, etc.)); By End Use (Residential, Industrial); By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline), Growth Forecast. The market forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) & volume (Thousand Units). Download Free PDF Asia Pacific Small Engine Market Size The Asia Pacific small engine market was valued at USD 6.5 billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow from USD 7.5 billion in 2026 to USD 18.3 billion in 2035, at a CAGR of 10.5%, according to latest report published by Global Market Insights Inc. Asia Pacific Small Engine Market Key Takeaways Market Size & Growth Regional Dominance Key Market Drivers Challenges Opportunity Key Players Urbanization in both Southeast Asia and India is a major component of the construction boom, which is growing quickly due to new housing developments and commercial centers, leading to an increased need for new landscaping and maintenance tools. Portable power tools will, therefore, be needed at a steady pace in the coming years. The growing trend toward agricultural mechanization is boosting the demand for agricultural machinery, with the rural economies moving away from manual labor and powered by small engines, primarily with tillers, pumps, and harvesters that are required for increases in yields and efficiency in developing countries. Significant government infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, and smart cities further bolsters the market. These large-scale projects require a vast fleet of small-engine-driven machinery, such as plate compactors and concrete cutters, to maintain timelines.. Increased availability of disposable income
Apr 21, 2026 · via gminsights.com
Dive Brief: - The U.S. Department of Transportation opened applications for $4.7 billion in grants for rail projects along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and for $2 billion to modernize passenger and freight rail across the United States. - The funding comes from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program and the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, both funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. - Separately, Amtrak asked rail car manufacturers to bid on a contract to begin replacing nearly 50-year-old cars on its long-distance trains. Dive Insight: Even as President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal cuts Amtrak funding by 82% and zeroes out funding for the Intercity Passenger Rail grant program, the DOT is moving projects ahead with funding from Biden-era legislation and congressional appropriations. The first round of applications for the Northeast Corridor projects will focus on the New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station renovations, along with other high-priority station projects, the DOT said in a press release. The DOT took control of the Penn Station project last year, and it owns and manages Washington Union Station. “The Northeast Corridor is the busiest and most complex rail line in America,” Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink said in a statement. The passenger rail grant program also includes projects that increase train frequencies and speed, establish new rail service and improve maintenance. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains carried 15.2 million passengers in fiscal year 2025. The CRISI grants are open to projects that “reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth in intercity passenger rail transportation along heavily traveled rail corridors,” improve highway-rail grade crossings, enhance connections between intercity rail and bus services and other projects focused on the safety and reliability of intercity passenger rail and freight rail, according to the Notice of
Apr 21, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 79, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but that average ranges drastically — from the mid-50s to the mid-90s — based on where people live. A new model called the “universal basic neighborhood” aims to help people in all communities maintain an average life expectancy of at least 80 by spreading health across neighborhoods rather than concentrating it in a few pockets. “Part of the problem we have in many U.S. cities is that we have really, really well-to-do, wealthy neighborhoods with an incredible amount of [health-related] assets, but it doesn’t translate into massive gains in life expectancy,” said Michael Emerson, a fellow in religion and policy at Rice University who led the UBN study. Concentrating health-care resources in those wealthy neighborhoods to increase life expectancy by a couple of years is “a waste of resources” that would be better spent on interventions to boost life expectancy in other places, he said. UBN focuses on “the basic neighborhood — not the most advanced or wealthiest neighborhoods” — for maximum impact on public health, he said. “More meaningful insights emerge when neighborhoods are evaluated in relation to their own potential,” according to a report introducing the model. “This approach shifts the focus from relative comparison to aspirational benchmarking, using a combination of health-supporting goals, regional and national targets, and community-informed values.” Emerson and researchers at the University of Louisville and Simmons College of Kentucky define a UBN as “the minimally acceptable mix of neighborhood health assets for residents to flourish in quality and length of life.” To determine those assets, they identified 35 metrics across four domains: environmental, housing, social and transportation. Those metrics include average maximum temperatures during the warm season, affordable housing, internet access and proximity to acute
Apr 21, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Dive Brief: - New York City launched a four-year, $4 billion initiative to boost affordable housing development and preservation across the city’s five boroughs, Comptroller Mark Levine announced. - The NYC Housing Investment Initiative doubles the amount of city pension funds invested in housing. “We’ve advanced critical zoning changes, but without financing, housing doesn’t get built,” Levine said in a news release. - The program will also support office-to-housing conversions. Dive Insight: Amid an ongoing housing affordability crisis, local governments are seeking creative ways to help finance housing projects. Philadelphia and Durham, North Carolina, have dedicated millions in municipal bonds to increase housing. Seattle last year instituted a 5% social housing tax on compensation businesses pay to employees beyond $1 million annually. Communities including Chicago and California also are finding public land they can reallocate to housing. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently pledged to fast-track permitting processes for such projects. Since the early 1990s, New York City pension investments have helped create or preserve 199,000 units of housing, according to the comptroller’s office. The latest infusion of pension funds into housing is a “historic step,” Rafael Cestero, CEO of The Community Preservation Corp., said in a news release. “This initiative sets a powerful model for how public capital can drive real impact by significantly expanding investment in the creation and preservation of our city’s housing stock,” Cestero said. The first wave of investments will include $750 million for the creation of mixed-income affordable housing, housing preservation and office conversions; $500 million to expand the city’s Public Private Apartment Rehabilitation program; and additional investment to finance large-scale multifamily and affordable housing projects using union labor.
Apr 21, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Here's How Aeva is Expanding Beyond Autos to Unlock Growth Aeva Technologies AEVA is broadening its strategy beyond vehicles. While automotive remains a core opportunity, the company is actively building growth across infrastructure, defense, and industrial markets. It aims to reduce reliance on a single end market and create multiple growth drivers using its 4D LiDAR and perception stack. Building Traction in Smart Infrastructure Aeva’s push into smart infrastructure is supported by its CityOS platform, which combines 4D LiDAR with edge AI to deliver real-time traffic intelligence. Unlike traditional systems that rely on delayed, cloud-based processing, CityOS enables on-site data capture and analysis. This allows cities to monitor traffic flow, detect incidents, and improve roadway safety in real time. The company already has a working deployment with the Georgia Department of Transportation. The system is being expanded across multiple intersections in the Atlanta area, following an initial rollout in high-traffic zones near Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center. Faster Cycles in Defense and Industrial Markets Aeva’s push into non-automotive segments goes beyond smart cities. The company has already secured a defense win with Forterra and begun sizable shipments, signaling near-term revenue contribution. Meanwhile, industrial and robotics applications offer shorter sales cycles and faster commercialization, helping balance the longer automotive revenue ramp and improving overall business resilience. This diversification helps balance the business. Instead of waiting years for automotive production, Aeva can build revenue in segments where adoption happens more quickly. Product Pipeline & Scaling Capacity Its Eve precision sensors, which began shipping in late 2025, are expected to scale in 2026, targeting high-precision measurement and motion sensing applications in industrial environments. The company is also preparing to launch its Omni platform in the second half of 2026, with a goal of significantly increasing industrial shipments. Together, these
Apr 21, 2026 · via tradingview.com
Towards Sustainable Mobility Systems with Big Data Mining - Date 27 Apr 2026 - Organiser Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) & Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) - Time 10:30 - 12:00 - Venue Z207 Map Speaker Prof. Songhua HU Remarks Moderator: Prof. Yang XU, Associate Head & Associate Professor, LSGI, member of RILS & SCRI Summary Climate change and population growth pose unprecedented challenges to urban systems. Meanwhile, the proliferation of crowdsensing techniques, such as mobile phones, vehicles, and cameras, has generated vast spatiotemporal data for understanding human activities and their interaction with the urban environment. In this talk, I will first delve into my research on using raw location data collected from millions of mobile phones to estimate and forecast individual human mobility patterns. Building on this foundation, I will demonstrate how it can support mobility decarbonization. Specifically, I will introduce a scalable framework that integrates ubiquitous, multi-structured mobility data to estimate citywide on-road vehicle emissions with high spatiotemporal resolution, followed by an evaluation of various city-scale decarbonization strategies. Lastly, I will highlight opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration in areas such as energy demand estimation, event response, and environmental exposure to drive broader, more lasting impacts. Keynote Speaker Prof. Songhua HU Assistant Professor Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering City University of Hong Kong Prof. Songhua HU is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at City University of Hong Kong. Prior to this, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Senseable City Lab. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on modeling human mobility and human-environment interactions using crowdsourced digital footprints collected from mobile phones, vehicles, social media, and cameras. His
Apr 21, 2026 · via polyu.edu.hk
NUOBIKAN (02635.HK) -19.540 (-28.526%) announced that it had recently entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Inspur Smart City, pursuant to which the two parties will carry out in-depth AI-driven cooperation centering on core areas like smart city, urban safety, urban governance, and urban digital infrastructure. The overall cooperation scale is estimated to reach around RMB500 million.At present, NUOBIKAN and Inspur Smart City are setting up a dedicated liaison and R&D team, establishing a project promotion mechanism, and focusing on core scenarios such as urban operation management, urban infrastructure lifeline safety project, analysis of urban economic operations, and smart community to jointly develop and implement AI-driven solutions. They will also introduce high-quality third-party partners to create a multi-party collaborative industrial system and jointly build a national intelligent benchmark project.(HK stocks quote is delayed for at least 15 mins.)
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Apr 21, 2026 · via aastocks.com
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Apr 20, 2026 · via jle.com
Ooredoo Becomes First Operator in Qatar to Launch LTE-M for Next-Generation IoT Connectivity This launch reinforces Ooredoo’s commitment to innovation and places Qatar at the forefront of smart connectivity and digital transformation in the region. Ooredoo, Qatar’s leading telecommunications and ICT provider, has achieved a new milestone in the nation’s digital evolution. Following extensive testing and successful deployment, Ooredoo has become the first operator in Qatar to launch LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines), also known as CAT-M1, a next-generation network technology purpose-built for massive Internet of Things (IoT) applications. This launch reinforces Ooredoo’s commitment to innovation and places Qatar at the forefront of smart connectivity and digital transformation in the region. LTE-M is a low-power wide-area (LPWA) technology, designed specifically for machine-type communications. It delivers efficient, reliable connectivity for a broad range of smart devices, including sensors, trackers, and wearables, enabling low-power, low-data IoT use cases at scale. This innovative technology is ideally suited for large-scale IoT deployments, powering applications such as smart city services, smart metering, asset tracking, supply chain management, and security monitoring across key sectors and industries, including transport and logistics, utilities, smart cities, oil & gas, healthcare, banking, industrial safety, and security. With LTE-M, businesses can deploy smarter and more sustainable IoT solutions thanks to its core features such as: - Exended battery life: up to 10 years for compatible devices - Deep coverage: reliable connections indoors and underground - Low latency: enabling near real-time communication - Full mobility: ideal for tracking moving assets such as vehicles and shipments Together, these capabilities make LTE-M a powerful enabler for scalable, energy-efficient, and future-ready IoT deployments across industries in Qatar. “The launch of LTE-M represents another key step in Ooredoo’s journey to drive Qatar’s digital transformation. With LTE-M, we are opening new frontiers of possibility for Qatari
Apr 20, 2026 · via techafricanews.com
When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure: How The City Of Conroe Built A Future-Forward Software-Defined Water System Ready For What's Next By Sielen Namdar Across the U.S., water utilities are navigating a challenging reality: population growth is accelerating faster than infrastructure investment, while expectations for reliability, transparency, and security continue to rise. Many systems were built decades ago, long before today’s demands for real-time data, remote operations, or rapid scalability. For fast-growing cities, the challenge is no longer whether modernization is needed, but how to do it without increasing risk or complexity. The City of Conroe, Texas offers a clear example of what it looks like to modernize with intent, by addressing not just equipment, but the underlying architecture of water operations. A Utility Strained By Rapid Growth Over the past 20 years, Conroe’s population has more than tripled, from roughly 30,000 to more than 115,000 residents. As demand surged, the city’s water operations struggled to keep pace. Operators spent up to five hours a day manually collecting and reporting data. Issues were often identified only after customers called to complain. And as new facilities were added, engineering and commissioning timelines became longer and more complex. Incremental upgrades were no longer enough. Conroe’s leadership recognized that continuing to bolt modern tools onto legacy systems would not solve the problem. What the city needed was a more flexible foundation, one that could scale with growth, improve visibility across operations, and reduce day‑to‑day operational burden. Moving Beyond Traditional Automation To address these challenges, Conroe partnered with Schneider Electric to adopt EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, an open, software‑defined automation platform. The decision marked a shift away from traditional, hardware‑dependent control systems toward a more modular, standardized approach. By separating software from hardware, the city was able to standardize operations across water and wastewater facilities while retaining
Apr 20, 2026 · via wateronline.com
Botco.ai to showcase Agentic AI at Arizona Technology Council’s April 27 conference, highlighting human-centered digital transformation. PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, April 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Botco.ai today announced it will participate in the Arizona Technology Council’s 2026 Smart City + Digital Transformation Conference, taking place Monday, April 27, 2026, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Hosted by the Arizona Technology Council in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, the conference brings together business leaders, technologists, policymakers and community stakeholders to explore the technologies shaping the future of Arizona’s cities and communities. Ms. Clyde will spotlight how powered customer engagement and emerging Agentic AI technologies support more human-centered digital transformation. Her decade-long experience in the AI space will serve to highlight practical applications of AI that improve access to information, streamline communication, and create more responsive, people-first digital experiences. “Digital transformation only works when it starts with people,” said Rebecca Clyde, Co-Founder and CEO of Botco.ai. “AI has the opportunity to make experiences more accessible, responsive, and human-centered, but only if it’s designed with intention. I’m excited to join this conversation and share how organizations can move beyond traditional chatbots to more intelligent, agent-driven experiences that truly serve their communities.” The conference will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities focused on smart city infrastructure, IoT technologies, digital transformation, mobility, connectivity, sustainability, cybersecurity and other technologies reshaping Arizona communities. “Arizona is quickly emerging as a national leader in smart infrastructure, digital connectivity and community innovation,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council and SciTech Institute. “This conference brings together the public- and private-sector leaders who are helping create more connected, efficient and resilient communities across our state.” During the event, Clyde will discuss how organizations can evolve from traditional chatbot
Apr 20, 2026 · via azcentral.com