分类： technology

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) may soon witness the introduction of electric tuk tuks, a sustainable and innovative mode of transportation that is already popular in countries like Egypt, Thailand, and India. These three-wheeled vehicles, also known as auto rickshaws, are being proposed by Green Power GCC, a company specializing in eco-friendly mobility solutions. Currently awaiting official approval from the UAE’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), the electric tuk tuks could soon become a common sight on the streets of Dubai and Sharjah. Ahmed Tauseef, a sales executive at Green Power, revealed that the vehicles are not only designed for urban commuting but could also serve as transport options for hotels and resorts, similar to golf carts. The company showcased its electric tuk tuks and motorcycles at the recently concluded Evolve Future Mobility Show, generating significant interest from potential buyers. The electric tuk tuks are powered by a combination of solar energy and electricity, featuring solar panels that charge onboard batteries. They also come equipped with standard charging ports, ensuring functionality even on cloudy days. With a range of up to 500km when fully charged, these vehicles can also be charged at home, and some models offer swappable batteries. Green Power has already shipped 200 solar-powered tricycles to Egypt and has received hundreds of inquiries in the UAE. The company’s website states that the tricycles cost approximately Dh8,000, with periodic maintenance being the only additional expense. The introduction of electric tuk tuks aligns with the UAE’s broader sustainability goals, including the National Electric Vehicles Policy, which aims to reduce energy consumption in the transport sector by 20% and increase the share of electric vehicles to 50% by 2050. This initiative is part of the UAE’s commitment to combating climate change and promoting green mobility.

A widespread internet disruption occurred on Monday as Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s largest cloud infrastructure provider, experienced a severe outage. The incident, which began around 3 am Eastern Time at AWS’s oldest and largest data center in Virginia, affected a multitude of services globally, including financial platforms, government websites, airlines, and gaming networks. The outage was attributed to issues with the company’s domain name system, which is essential for browsers and applications to load properly. Major platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Fortnite, Reddit, Lyft, Delta Airlines, McDonald’s, and Robinhood were among those impacted, leaving users unable to access critical services. Even Amazon’s own e-commerce platform struggled to process orders. The outage also affected UK government sites, financial institutions like Lloyd Bank and Bank of Scotland, and telecom giant Vodafone. Delta Airlines reported flight delays, while cryptocurrency platform Coinbase assured users that their funds remained secure despite service interruptions. The incident has reignited concerns about global reliance on a few dominant cloud service providers, particularly in Europe, where critics argue that dependency on U.S.-based tech giants poses both security and economic risks. AWS, which controls 37% of the global cloud market and generates $107 billion in revenue, has faced similar outages in 2021 and 2023. Experts estimate the financial damages from this outage could reach billions of dollars. By mid-afternoon, AWS announced that the issue had been resolved, though many services were still in the process of recovering. The outage underscores the fragility of the internet’s infrastructure and the far-reaching consequences when a major provider experiences downtime.

A significant disruption in Amazon Web Services (AWS) operations on Monday left numerous high-profile websites and applications inaccessible, highlighting the vulnerabilities of relying on a single cloud provider. Platforms such as Snapchat, Reddit, Roblox, and banking services like Lloyds and Halifax were among the more than 1,000 services affected, according to Downdetector, a platform outage monitor. User reports of issues surged to over 6.5 million during the outage, which began around 07:00 BST and persisted for much of the day. While Amazon later announced that the core issue had been resolved, some services continued to experience problems, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of such disruptions. The outage, attributed to a DNS resolution issue with the DynamoDB API endpoint in the US-EAST-1 region, exposed the fragility of the internet’s infrastructure. Experts like Professor Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey emphasized the interdependence of online services, noting that even minor errors in third-party infrastructure can have widespread impacts. Mike Chapple, an IT professor at Notre Dame University, likened the situation to a power outage, where initial fixes might address symptoms rather than root causes. The incident has reignited debates about the concentration of cloud computing power among a few dominant providers—Amazon, Microsoft, and Google—which collectively control an estimated 70% of the market. Critics, including Cori Crider of the Future of Technology Institute, argue that this reliance poses risks to security, sovereignty, and economic stability, advocating for greater diversification and local alternatives. Meanwhile, Ken Birman, a computer science professor at Cornell University, pointed out that companies using AWS must also take responsibility by implementing robust backup systems for mission-critical applications. The outage serves as a stark reminder of the need for resilience in the face of technological dependencies, as the fallout from such disruptions can have lasting economic and operational consequences.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the backbone of the internet for countless businesses worldwide, faced a significant outage that disrupted operations for over 1,000 companies and impacted millions of users globally. The incident, attributed to a Domain Name System (DNS) error, left major platforms like Snapchat, Reddit, Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Roblox, and Fortnite inaccessible. AWS, which powers approximately one-third of the internet, provides critical services such as storage, database management, and traffic routing, enabling businesses to avoid maintaining costly in-house infrastructure. However, the outage highlighted the vulnerabilities of relying on a single service provider. The disruption originated at AWS’s largest data center in North Virginia, though the exact cause remains unclear, with possibilities ranging from maintenance issues to human error or cyberattacks. Experts have long warned against the risks of over-reliance on AWS, emphasizing the lack of viable alternatives at its scale. While competitors like Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, IBM, and Alibaba exist, AWS remains the dominant player. The incident has reignited debates about the need for Europe and the UK to develop their own cloud infrastructure to reduce dependence on U.S. tech giants. Despite calls for such initiatives, the sheer dominance of AWS raises questions about the feasibility of creating a comparable alternative. This outage serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of the internet’s infrastructure and the challenges of diversifying its foundations.