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This content is specifically about the model: Blue. There are other variants, the prices of which are shown in the tabs of the table below.

The SMF02 is a retro pastry robot, but only in appearance. Its technical data sheet positions it at the top of the market, thanks in particular to its direct gear motor with a power of 800 W.

The Smeg SMF02 is a nice surprise. Equipped with a direct gear motor, an efficiency of 800 W and 10 outputs, this pastry robot is particularly efficient. Apart from that, its 1950s aesthetic, characteristic of the Italian manufacturer, makes it a real decorative object. Although it runs silently, the Smeg requires a few extra seconds to complete the desired tasks compared to other models in our comparison.

Strong points

• Good stability.
• Correct runtime performance.
• Quiet.
• Powerful engine.

Weak points

• Risk of wear on the baking set due to the coating.
• It is not possible to adjust the height between the utensils and the bottom of the bowl.

Note: The reported price drop is calculated by comparing the lowest price of the day with the average of the lowest prices of all retailers in the last month for the product, with safety rules in place to exclude prices from stores whose VAT policy is unclear (so-called “gray ” stores, typically for imports from China).

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With the MUM 5, Bosch wants to offer a no-frills pastry robot. The device with its innovative design offers space for several different accessories, sometimes included in the set, sometimes available at an additional cost. Its compact and lightweight format will delight small interiors and users who want to store the MUM after each use. Ultimately, the pastry robot proves to be effective for all types of preparation, even if it requires a little more time than its best competitors.

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Officials also said they needed more time to determine whether the spacecraft, which had no astronauts on board, achieved an accurate lunar landing – one of the mission's priorities.

Hitoshi Kuninaka, director of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences, said he believes the rovers were launched from the spacecraft and that data was transmitted to Earth from the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM).

But he said the SLIM's solar battery produces no electricity and the ship's battery life would only last a few hours longer. He said the priority now is for the spacecraft to collect as much lunar data as possible from the remaining battery.

Japan therefore follows the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India in their search for the moon.

Mr. Kuninaka believes the Japanese space program has achieved at least “minimal” success. The SLIM spacecraft landed on the moon around 12:20 a.m. Tokyo time on Saturday (3:20 p.m. GMT Friday). The wait for news has been long after the Japanese space agency's mission control initially said SLIM was on the lunar surface but was still “checking its status.” No further details were released until a news conference nearly two hours later.

For the mission to be considered fully successful, agency officials must confirm whether SLIM performed a “precise lunar landing.” Mr. Kuninaka said that even if more time were needed, he personally believes that this precise lunar landing was likely successful, based on his observation of the data showing the spacecraft's movement until landing.

SLIM, aimed at a very small target, is a lightweight spacecraft the size of a passenger car. “Precision landing” technology was used, which promises far better control than any previous lunar landing.

While most previous probes used landing zones about 10 kilometers wide, SLIM aimed at a target just 100 meters away. This project is the culmination of two decades of JAXA work in precision technology.

As the spacecraft descended, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission control reported that everything was going according to plan, later stating that SLIM “was on the lunar surface.” But it has not been clear since then whether the moon landing was successful.

A “precision moon landing” technique

According to the space agency JAXA, SLIM began its descent at midnight on Saturday and was about 10 kilometers above the lunar surface within 15 minutes. At an altitude of five kilometers, the lander was in vertical descent mode, and at 50 meters SLIM should then make a parallel movement to find a safe landing point, JAXA said. About 30 minutes after the suspected moon landing, JAXA said it was still assessing the condition of the spacecraft.

The mission's main goal is to test new landing technologies that would allow lunar missions to land “where they want to, rather than where it's easier to do so,” JAXA said. If the landing is successful, the space probe will search for clues about the origin of the moon and, among other things, analyze minerals using a special camera. The SLIM, equipped with a cushion to cushion the impact, was expected to land near Shioli Crater, near a region covered in volcanic rock.

The closely watched mission came just 10 days after a lunar mission led by a private American company failed when the spacecraft developed a fuel leak hours after the rocket's launch. SLIM was launched in September using a Mitsubishi Heavy H2A rocket. The spacecraft initially orbited the Earth and entered lunar orbit on December 25th.

Japan hopes that success will allow it to regain confidence in its space technology after several failures. A spacecraft designed by a Japanese company crashed during an attempted moon landing in April, and a new flagship rocket failed on its first launch in March.

JAXA has a good record of “difficult landings.” Its Hayabusa2 spacecraft, launched in 2014, landed twice on the 900-meter-long asteroid Ryugu and collected samples that were returned to Earth.

SLIM carries two small autonomous probes: the LEV-1 and LEV-2 rovers, which were scheduled to be released shortly before the spacecraft landed. LEV−1, equipped with an antenna and a camera, was intended to record SLIM's lunar landing. LEV−2, on the other hand, is a spherical rover equipped with two cameras, developed by JAXA in collaboration with Sony, toy manufacturer Tomy and Doshisha University.

Music, an ancient art defined by acoustic units by musicologists and by cultural units by anthropologists, has its roots in nature and biology. It would be the extension of natural phenomena that have interpenetrated each other in the human species, arranged according to combinations and sound choices to respond to a specific aesthetic and emotional need that can influence human behavior. In fact, nature is rhythm: the seasons, the daily cycles, the heartbeat, the trot of a horse, the movements of the waves. The universe consists of waves and vibrations. Musicians have not only been inspired by these natural phenomena for their creations, they are an integral part of human beings.

While physiologists are well aware of the physiological basis for the perception or production of sound, neuroscience seeks to explain the cellular, molecular and electrophysiological processes and neural connections that underlie all aspects of musical practice.

How does the brain perceive the accuracy of a note? Why does music sometimes create feelings of joy or sorrow? What are the special features of memory associated with music? What is the innate and acquired part of practicing music?

Neuromusicology needs researchers with dual training: musicologists interested in neuroscience and neurologists enthusiastic about the world of music and musicology, but also anthropologists and sociologists. This is a crucial prerequisite for tackling such a topic by combining music and neuroscience.

In collaboration between Beit al-Hikma (Department of Science and Arts), the Laboratory for Research in Culture, New Technologies and Development (CUNTIC) and the Polish Academy of Sciences, the international conference “Music and Neuroscience” will take place on the 7th and March 8, 2024 at the Academy of Sciences, Literature and Arts. The aim of Beit al-hikma, as we read in the argument, is to take stock of the current state of knowledge in neuroscience with regard to the physiological foundations of musical practice. This includes perceptual and emotional processes that are generated by sounds and rhythms as well as those that play a role in musical practices of all genres and styles of interpretation. Using this knowledge to inventory all aspects of musical perception could not only improve methods of music learning and music therapy, but also open up new research opportunities in these areas.

This international symposium brings together experts from different fields and offers a unique opportunity for networking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Participants have the opportunity to exchange knowledge, build interdisciplinary research partnerships and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

The meeting between musicians, musicologists, neurologists and researchers in related fields aims to respond to this need for interdisciplinary interaction, to open debate on an arsenal of epistemological questions and to enrich themselves with the knowledge acquired in each of these disciplines. This exchange, initiated by the Arts and Sciences Departments of Beit al-Hikma, will open perspectives for interdisciplinary research at national and international levels by pushing the boundaries of research and creativity.

Participants discuss music as an interacting biological and cultural process (ethnomusicology, anthropology), fundamental concepts of the cognitive psychology of music (psychology),
musical learning, emotions, creativity and cultural and musical diversity (musicology/psychology), advances in imaging, acoustics and artificial intelligence as applied to music (biophysics, computer science) and music therapy (music therapy), to take stock of practical applications in psychological health to do rehabilitation.
The conference also provides an opportunity to showcase the latest technologies and research methods, promoting a deeper understanding of the relationship between music and the brain.

American scientists are reportedly working on a “space vaccine” that could also improve the lives of aging populations.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are reportedly working with biotechnology company Vaxxinity to develop a vaccine to prevent and relieve muscle and bone weakness, the Miami Herald reported Saturday morning.

The aim of this collaboration, supported by government funding, is to treat atrophy and bone and muscle loss, a common health problem among astronauts undertaking extended weightless journeys, but also among the elderly.

The number of people ages 85 and older in the United States is expected to triple by 2060. In this context, research that can lead to longer and healthier lives is becoming increasingly important for American researchers.

“We look forward to collaborating with Vaxxinity on this research and leveraging their unique technology to benefit our planet’s aging population and future space travelers,” said Deborah, vice president of business affairs at Vaxxinity, in an announcement. Health and Dean of the UCF School of Medicine, Deborah Deutsch.

If all goes well, human clinical trials for vaccines could begin as early as 2025, Lou Reese, co-founder and chief executive officer of Vaxxinity, told the Miami Herald.

Apple was forced to change its policy on in-app purchases in the App Store. But the developers accuse the Apple brand of malicious intent.

During the trial that pitted Epic and Apple against each other, the American judicial system rejected both parties' requests and Cupertino had to change its policies by allowing developers to offer alternative in-app payment methods.

Yes, but here it is: Apple will continue to pocket a significant portion of the revenue from these purchases. As The Verge explains, where it previously charged 30% of App Store purchases, with these alternative payment methods the Apple brand will no longer charge “just…” 27% on transactions for major developers. For smaller developers, the rate will drop to 12%, where it was previously 15%. You will have understood that nothing actually changes.

Epic Games has already indicated that the company will challenge this decision in court. However, this is not the only developer who has openly complained, as Spotify is of the same opinion and is far from the only one.

Apple is currently under the supervision of antitrust authorities in numerous countries and states, be it in the USA, Europe or even Korea. And in most of these cases, the App Store is at the center of the controversy…

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Sixty years ago, a real race to the moon took place between the Soviet Union and the United States, culminating in the six Apollo landings between 1969 and 1972. Then the dust settled: no moon base, not even another mission to the moon for quite a while.

Although our satellite remained a scientifically interesting object, some lunar missions were launched in the 1990s, for example the American Clementine in 1994. Other actors gradually joined: Japan (Hiten in 1990, then Kaguya/Selene in 2007) , Europe (SMART-1 in 2003), China (Chang'e 1 in 2007) and India (Chandrayaan in 2008). However, these were orbiters – satellites that orbited the moon and examined it from a distance.

From now on, the focus is on the landers… Japan on Saturday became the fifth country to successfully land on the moon, but its module is in danger of soon running out of power due to a problem with its solar panels. This is an opportunity to take stock of the missions that make up this “Race to the Moon” and understand why our satellite is attracting attention.

During the Japanese SLIM mission, this LEV rover was dropped from the lander onto the lunar surface (artist's impression).

The starting signal for this new race to the moon was given in 2007 with the Google X-Prize (the private sector has been influencing the space sector since the 2000s). This initiative was intended to reward the first private actor to land on the moon. Five teams had been selected as finalists, but none had made it to completion in 2018. However, two came onto the market a little late: the Israeli Beresheet came onto the market in 2019 and the Japanese Hakuto-R came onto the market at the end of 2022… unfortunately without success. It was the beginning, but not the end. Let's look at the current situation.

American NASA, a leading figure between public and private missions

On the American side, the lunar program is diverse. First there is the NASA program, currently called Artemis, which is intended to bring astronauts back to the moon. Due to the SLS rocket, various delays occurred… not to mention insufficient funding or multiple overruns, resulting in Artemis I, an unmanned mission, not being launched until 2022, Artemis II (manned mission around the Moon ) has just been postponed to 2025 and Artemis III (manned mission with landing) will not arrive on the moon until 2026. Note that Europeans and Canadians are involved in this program. Artemis is also the name of non-binding international agreements that bring together 23 countries, mainly from America and Europe, and set “rules” for future lunar activities.

Also read: File: Send people back to the moon

At the same time, the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative was launched in 2018. It aims to support private companies (currently 14) to develop cargo ships to the lunar south pole and involves a total of 2.6 billion by 2028. We therefore have to put the “private” side into perspective: as far as the development from the New Space is concerned. Until the turn of the millennium, private dynamics will be heavily supported by public money.

This year CLPS comes into play. Astrobotic just launched Peregrine on January 8, 2024, but this probe will not land due to a fuel problem that resulted in an explosion. Astrobotic also has to send the NASA rover VIPER at the end of 2024. Intuitive Machine will launch its Nova-C missions in February and in a few months, while Firefly will launch the Blue Ghost mission soon.

NASA's VIPER rover is being tested in the SLOPE laboratory (Simulated Lunar Operations Lab).

Further missions are planned in the coming years. Similarity: There is always a NASA cargo ship that is more scientific in nature, but sometimes it is complemented by private cargo. For example, Peregrine took human ashes with him… to the great dismay of the Navajos who were protesting the desecration of the moon (NASA informed them that the private sector was doing whatever it wanted).

Finally, Musk develops his own program, with a small tourist visit for the billionaire Maezawa planned “soon”…

China and the Chang'e series explore the visible and hidden sides of the moon

On the Chinese side, the lunar program is named after the goddess Chang'e, who is associated with our satellite. Things are progressing slowly but surely: Chang'e-3 lands on the visible side in 2013, Chang'e-4 lands on the other side in 2019, Chang'e-5 returns a sample of the visible side in 2020, and Chang “E- “6 will do the same with the hidden side this year.” We will then have Chang'e-7 to test the “resources” available on the South Pole side, and Chang'e-8 to in-situ use of those resources will prepare. Manned landers will follow in the 2030s.

Please note: China is also leading an international agreement on an “international lunar research station” with Russia, Venezuela, South Africa, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Egypt as partners.

India is the fourth nation to successfully land on the moon

If India signs the Artemis Accords, it will have its own lunar program. The Chandrayaan-3 probe landed in 2023, causing much celebration – and some political boost from the Prime Minister! The sequel is called LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission), a mission planned for 2026 with on-site collection and analysis of lunar samples.

Two significant players remain. First of all, Russia, but it is losing some momentum. After a 47-year shutdown, the Luna 25 lander failed in August 2023 and the Luna 26 orbiter will not arrive until 2027.

This year there will also be a new test for the Japanese private probe Hakuto-R after the failed landing on the lunar soil at the end of April 2023.

Why so much greed?

A bevy of missions will therefore land on the Moon in the coming months and years. It's legitimate to ask why…

Several aspects come into play. First of all, there is of course the scientific side: our natural satellite still holds a few secrets and therefore there is a lot to study there, ideally on site, of course. with a lander) and not from a distance (with an orbiter). But let's be clear: further development of basic knowledge does not achieve much, even if science often serves as an alibi. The private interest in this area is primarily to burden scientific laboratories that want to send their missions.

Second aspect: national pride. As in the 1960s, various countries and business leaders bulge… the moon appears here like a trophy coveted by all.

Third goal: tourism. The Japanese billionaire Maezawa would be the first of them, and probably not the last… Of course, it remains to be seen whether the thing will be profitable in the long term, as the novelty effect quickly wears off and the number of wealthy customers remains low.

The moon, a new mining Eldorado?

Finally, of course, there's the main attraction: lunar resources… So what's so valuable about the Moon?

Also Read: Who Owns Mars, the Moon and Their Natural Resources?

Helium-3, an isotope of helium that can be very useful in nuclear fusion power plants. The only problems: to extract it in large quantities, almost the entire lunar surface must be turned over, scarring it forever, and there is no power plant of this kind yet (only prototypes like ITER, where fusion is controlled as much as possible). possible). for 10 minutes).

Different chemical elements, but at this level metallic asteroids are more interesting once we master space mining (which is far from the case). Finally, water ice – especially where it is cold, in the never-illuminated craters of the lunar poles, which explains why many missions are heading towards these poles.

Through electrolysis we obtain oxygen and hydrogen from this water. Oxygen could be useful for astronauts on site – but remember that no base is funded yet, there are just projects that are far from 100% concrete. Both compounds can also be used as rocket fuel, which could be useful for companies building and launching satellites from the moon. Since there is no moon base yet, such a plan (factory, launch base) is currently science fiction. Finally, a “gas station” on a space highway was also mentioned, but of course the same caveats apply. In short: the exploitation of lunar resources should at best be considered in the very long term and certainly not for the coming years.

A final aspect seems interesting to mention in this context: these lunar resources can be described as non-renewable. In fact, helium-3 and water have accumulated over billions of years, and so it will take a very long time for solar wind and comets to replace what would be exploited. So the question is: Is it a good idea to reproduce on the Moon what we did on Earth?

Also read: Space for everyone… or just a few?

Oh, digital photos… You probably have a large number of them on your smartphone or computer where you have saved them. The advent of digital technology and the emergence of cameras on our smartphones have exploded the number of photos we take. But did you know that you can edit, enhance or retouch these photos?

For example, in portrait photos, it is sometimes interesting to blur the background, regardless of whether the subject is a person, an animal, or an object. This helps to highlight the subject and draw attention to the main subject by blurring surrounding elements. Artistic background blur is also called bokeh.

Here we invite you to discover a free tool integrated directly into the Windows 11 photo manager. Thanks to this software you can give a new dimension to your photos in just a few clicks. You no longer need to use paid software!

What do you need to know about the Background Blur feature in Photos?

It may be necessary to blur the background of a photo to differentiate and isolate a subject from its surroundings to make it stand out. While it was previously necessary to use a third-party application to add this blur effect to the background of an image, Microsoft recently added this functionality to its Photos application on Windows 11.

Soberly called “background blur,” it allows you to blur the background of a subject in just a few seconds. The tool is able to automatically identify the area behind the subject that needs to be blurred. In addition, you can adjust the intensity and position of the blur on any part of the photo.

You should know that this feature is a new feature and is not yet available to the general public at the time of writing. Background blur is integrated in version 2023.11090.13001.0 of the Photos app, the release date of which is not yet known. To test it out now, you must be a member of the Windows Insider program and upgrade to this specific version.

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To blur the background of an image using the Background Blur feature in the Photos app on Windows 11, follow these steps.

First, launch the Photos app by pressing the button win on your keyboard and then type Pictures in the search bar. Once the app is open, scroll down to the image you want to edit and then double-click it to open it in the preview window.

Now click on the icon Edit image in the top bar. Then click on the option Background blur top right. The tool then starts identifying the background of the image and then automatically applies the blur effect.

If you're happy with the result, great. Otherwise, you can make some adjustments by accessing the option Blur intensity in the right section. Use the slider to increase or decrease the blur effect on your image.

When you have made all the necessary changes, click Applythen click the button Save a copy top right. Enter a name for the edited image and click Save save.

Note that with the new Background Blur feature it is possible to blur only certain parts of the image. To do this, click on the switch next to theSelection Brush Tool below the option Blur intensity. It is used by default Select area. Then use your mouse to select the area you want to blur. Again, you can use the adjustment slider to adjust the blur intensity (if necessary).

An option Deselect area is also available belowSelection Brush Tool. This allows you to deselect part of the blurred image with the mouse.

When you're finished making the changes you want, click Applythen click the button Save a copy so that everything is saved.

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An ocean in Africa? The hypothesis is not that far-fetched, as geoscientist Cynthia Ebinger from Tulane University (Louisiana) reveals. The creation of a new ocean in Africa could even be achieved in less than a million years, or even in half that time.

The possible division of the African continent

This claim is based on extensive studies and expertise gathered since the 1980s. Cynthia Ebinger, whose articles have been widely cited in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature, focuses on the interactions between tectonic plates in the Afar region. , where the Arabian, African (or Núbia) and Somali plates meet.

The scientist published an authoritative article in Nature in 1998 on Cenozoic magmatism in East Africa, highlighting the impact of a single hotspot in this region. His research has highlighted the crucial role of large amounts of magma, particularly in the Ethiopian plateaus and East Africa, extending over a thousand kilometers.

The dynamics of tectonic plates are at the heart of this phenomenon. The Arabian plate is moving away from Africa at a rate of 2.5 centimeters per year, while the African and Somali plates are each moving at a rate of 0.5 centimeters per year. This gradual movement could lead to the division of the African continent, which is crossed by a huge mass of salt water from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In 2005, a series of 420 earthquakes struck a desert region in Ethiopia, a major seismic event for the continent. This activity opened a 60-kilometer-long rift in the Afar region. Geophysicist Atalay Ayele from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, identified three main sources of magma in this episode, pointing to the tectonic and volcanic processes that could ultimately form a nascent ocean channel.

The research of Atalay Ayele and Cynthia Ebinger, together with that of their colleagues, led to the publication of a study in the journal Tectonophysics that presents a 3D model of geological changes in the region. This model showed the formation of new voluminous basalt crusts and reduced layer thickness beneath the Afar Depression.

These strong geological upheavals could accelerate the opening of the fissure and the passage of salt water. Although accurate prediction of events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes is still difficult to achieve, these studies nevertheless allow understanding long-term processes but also improving seismic models to better predict future natural disasters.

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