Zircon Software Ltd

06/12/2023

It's Christmas Jumper Day here at Zircon Towers!

We may be a day early, but we are getting festive nonetheless!

Take a look and let us know which jumper you think is the best 🎄🎅👚

14/06/2023

When saving a life at sea, time is a precious resource...

Every year our lifeguards work tirelessly to keep us safe as we relax on the beach and enjoy a holiday swim. Now, advanced drone technology could swoop in to support their efforts and give them more of that precious resource.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-63654512

The Royal Life Saving Society is trialling the use of buoyancy-aid-deploying drones.

12/06/2023

Could we soon be flying around in airborne taxis?

The addition of published rules to formally add the helicopters and plane mixes to the list of regulated aircraft seems to indicate it might be possible.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can take flight and land without needing a runway, much like a helicopter and cover long distances in a similar fashion to standard aircraft.

This move has been called "an important step toward making commercial air taxi operations a reality", but there is still some distance to go before they are here for good.

More conclusive rules are expected to be published in the summer this year, so until then, we will have to wait with baited breath !

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63709754

US air regulators said they would add flying taxis to the list of regulated aircraft.

08/06/2023

Would you trust a computer to make you smell nicer?

With a short series of questions and three unique scents, the ScenTronix system thinks it could craft your perfect fragrance.

Constantly trained on input data and feedback, could AI revolutionise the perfume market?

Who knows, it might even start making suggestions that our brains may never have considered!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-63216155

Anna Holligan finds out whether artificial intelligence can create a unique fragrance just for her.

06/06/2023

It's time for Traffex Day 1!

Dan Russell is out and about representing Zircon, so if you happen to spot him walking around or attending one of the talks, feel free to say hello and have a chat.

We hope everyone has a great day!

06/06/2023

If there is one thing Machine Learning loves, it is data and recognising patterns ...
.. Every day, we generate an abundance of data in the field of medicine, so, unsurprisingly, interest has been piqued as to what Machine Learning could tell us.

Researchers are already applying Machine Learning methods to real-world longitudinal clinical data to develop an affordable surveillance program for the early detection of Pancreatic cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Only two to nine per cent of patients diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer survive at five years, but a lack of understanding regarding risk factors makes diagnosis challenging.

Although the study did not yield perfect results, it showed promise that the application of Machine Learning and AI on clinical records has the potential to substantially improve patient quality of life whilst also increasing the benefit-to-cost ratio of cancer care.

To see how the developed algorithms performed in more detail, we recommend checking out this article from News Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230510/Can-artificial-intelligence-help-predict-the-risk-of-pancreatic-cancer-using-disease-trajectories.aspx

Researchers designed surveillance programs for the early detection of patients at elevated risk of pancreatic cancer.

22/05/2023

AI has found yet another application in highways ...

Roadside rubbish has become a significant problem on the UK road network, with over 40% of the network being graded below B for litter.

National Highways have partnered with East Hampshire county council to install new artificial intelligence cameras on motorways. The new system will be placed in lay-bys, scanning the area to spot rubbish being thrown out of vehicles.

Currently, enforcement officers are limited to hunting through hours of CCTV video footage to catch offenders. The new system will improve the speed and consistency of detection, allowing the control room to review images and immediately issue fines to the person registered to the number plate.

As a country, we need to get control of this problem. Maybe AI can help us get there.

People throwing litter out their vehicles will be caught in the act.

19/05/2023

Moving on from Teslas and postal delivery vehicles, the world of autonomy is being applied to public transport.

Working with Fusion Processing, Stagecoach will run five autonomous buses along preselected roads within Edinburgh.

However, though they are driverless in name during their operation, two staff members will be on board to monitor the technology and assist passengers using the service.

This new autonomous fleet marks a significant milestone for transport innovation. We will have to wait to see how it performs to understand its real-world feasibility.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65589913

Stagecoach's fleet of autonomous buses will run every half hour between Fife and Edinburgh.

02/05/2023

Approximately 70% of all train journeys begin or end in London! 🚂

It's no surprise that London Waterloo is the UK's busiest station (100 million people a year), with Victoria and Liverpool Street coming in at a close second.

28/04/2023

A video from 1975 that is still relevant today! 👨‍💻

Little is known about the video itself, but its point still stands today - read code critically and write code that is easy to understand.

With the introduction of AI capable of writing code, critical program reading may become much more important.

This is a 16mm film titled "Critical Program Reading" I applied some color correction as this is very faded. Mostly this worked well but there are some magen...

25/04/2023

Dogs use their left nostril to take in good smells 👃

Dogs usually start sniffing with their right nostril, then keep it there if the smell could signal danger, but they’ll shift to the left side for something pleasant, like food!

18/04/2023

At Zircon, we know how fundamental data security is to our clients.

So, we are proud to say that we have passed both the Cyber Essentials Certification and the Cyber Essentials Plus Certification💻

For those that are unaware of the program, Cyber Essentials Plus is a government-backed scheme that promotes a strong level of Cyber Security and is highly recommended for all businesses, no matter the size.