🤬Turkey shuts Instagram down over censorship claims, solid-state battery hits 800 cycles, Australia adds robot with 360° rotating claws to bomb disposal squad

INTERESTING ENGINEERING SHOP

On August 2, Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) unexpectedly blocked Instagram, leaving users— on both the website and the mobile app— puzzled.

The timing of this decision— which came without explanation— is curious, following criticism from Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun. He accused Instagram of censorship, particularly regarding posts about the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

For more on this development, check out today’s Must-Read.

🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com:

> Java Software Engineer - Payments
> Software Engineer - COBOL, SQL

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MUST READ

🤬 Turkey shuts Instagram over Hamas leader Haniyeh’s condolence post censorship

This isn’t Turkey’s first clash with social media giants. In April 2024, Meta temporarily shut down Threads in the country amid mounting regulatory pressure.

The sensitivity surrounding Haniyeh’s assassination following an Israeli airstrike and the subsequent reactions on social media appear to have added to the current friction between Turkey and Meta.

The latest ban raises more questions about digital freedom and content moderation while highlighting the delicate balance between government control and social media platforms’ policies.

🔋 Lithium replacement power: ION’s anodeless solid-state battery hits 800 cycles

Maryland-based ION Storage Systems has successfully recycled its Solid-State Battery (SSB) cells 800 times without compression or volume change.

This unprecedented feat was achieved by combining a next-generation ceramic electrolyte with a unique cell architecture, which resulted in an anode-less, compression-less lithium-metal battery.

“Early glimpses of our larger format cells are looking promising. […] I couldn’t be more excited for the coming months,” said ION’s CTO Dr. Greg Hitz.

🦾 ‘Quantum leap’: Australia unveils remote ‘bomb robots’ with 360° rotating claws

Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Australia has introduced five new Remote Positioning Vehicles-Medium (RPV-M), commonly known as “bomb robots,” in a $2.6 million modernization program.

QPS selected the Caliber Flex bomb robot from ICOR Technology following a competitive evaluation process. The Caliber Flex boasts an 80-lb lift capacity, a 360° rotating claw, and can operate for 2-4+ hours on a single charge.

Featuring a 3D avatar for real-time positional feedback and sophisticated control, the new robots will allow QPS technicians to remotely approach, investigate, and neutralize improvised explosive devices and chemical, biological, or radiological threats.

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IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, What weight does the blue box have to be in order for the seesaw to be in equilibrium (balanced)?

The answer is: 25

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