Adrian Hill’s highly effective vaccine exceeded the World Health Organization’s protection targets of 75pc to 80pc in clinical trials.

Ireland’s Adrian Hill has received the European Patent Office’s European Inventor Award 2026 in the research category for his work developing the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine.

The highly effective vaccine achieved roughly 80pc protection in clinical trials, exceeding even World Health Organization (WHO) targets of 75pc. 

Designed for large-scale deployment in lower-income countries, the awarding body noted, the vaccine created by Hill and his team presents more of the malaria-specific protein regions needed to trigger a strong immune response, which offers significantly more protection against the disease than traditional vaccines. 

It costs less than €3 to make per dose and can remain stable for up to two years under standard refrigeration conditions, helping make vaccination programmes more accessible in regions where malaria remains endemic, according to the European Patent Office. 

Commenting on the win, Hill said, “I am delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the many hundreds of people who have contributed to the discovery, development and licensure of our malaria vaccine over the past 12 years.”

Hill’s commitment to malaria research began in Gambia in 1988 when he witnessed the impact the illness can have, particularly on young children. According to the WHO, in 2024 there were 282m cases of malaria causing roughly 610,000 deaths globally. Three-quarters of those reported deaths were in Africa-based children under five. 

The project brought together partners including the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, Novavax, and leading African research centres in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali and Tanzania. 

The awards show was held in Berlin; other inventors competing with Hill included Portuguese research finalist Paula Videira and her team, who were nominated for a high-precision antibody that distinguishes cancer cells from healthy tissue.

Finnish physicist Mikko Möttönen was considered for his work developing an ultrasensitive cryogenic microwave sensor that aims to improve quantum computing hardware.

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Focal has expanded its Utopia loudspeaker range with the Scala Utopia Evo M, a French-built loudspeaker that introduces the brand’s newest PRISM tweeter and M-profile midrange technology to the model line.

That model line retains the three-way architecture that made the original Scala Utopia successful, with Focal integrating engineering advances from its most recent speaker developments across the entire updated design.

science

There might also be a downside

For those growing sick of Earth’s geopolitics, NASA is looking for volunteers to spend a year living and working in isolated conditions in preparation for a journey to some other celestial orb.

The US space agency is set to carry out a simulated deep space mission from no earlier than August 2027 to understand what might happen to its human lab rats during planned crewed missions to the Moon or Mars.

Johnson Space Center in Houston will be home to the willing participants who are set for a yearlong Moon and Mars Exploration Analog experience designed to help keep potential space travelers safe and mission-ready during future stays on the Red Planet or Earth’s natural satellite. The simulation could also inform plans for a sustained lunar presence through the agency’s Moon Base and future Artemis missions.

The “experience” will take place in two confined habitats. The NASA notice does not say whether there will be outside comms, but specifies physical and educational requirements, as well as a willingness to take part in a multi-day selection process and pass a psychological assessment.

“Candidates also should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding experiences, and interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for extended stays on the lunar surface and the first crewed mission to Mars,” the notice says.

Given the state of affairs, there may well be a flood of applicants who feel skipping a year would be well worth the inevitable curbs on their freedoms.

Nonetheless, they may wonder about the world they will emerge to find when the experiment ends. Will WWE star Cody Rhodes be running for president, given the recent showcase on the White House lawn? Anything is possible in a world that shows an unnerving resemblance to Mike Judge’s 2006 Idiocracy.

Then again, given the perilous state of NASA’s funding under the Trump regime, it is always possible volunteers could fall victim to cuts while they were in isolation, leaving no one to tell them the experiment had reached its end. ®

Amazon Leo is ready to begin limited internet service later this year, but it’s far behind Starlink — several thousand satellites behind.

Amazon launched 29 more satellites into low-Earth orbit on Thursday, bringing its total to 396 and positioning the company to begin offering internet service to a relatively small customer base. Leo business and product VP Chris Weber posted on X that the company will be able “to support continuous service across initial latitudes.”  

Still lots of work ahead — including raising all these new satellites to their assigned altitude — but we’ve completed enough launches for initial service this yr, and future missions just add coverage and capacity,” he added.

More from CNET: Best Satellite Internet Providers for 2026

But Leo is starting a marathon that Starlink began in 2019 with its first launch. Trillionaire Elon Musk’s company has about 10,000 satellites in orbit and offers internet coverage to more than 150 countries. Starlink also either has or will have internet service on more than 200 airlines, including United Airlines, Air France, Alaska Airlines and British Airways.

In comparison Leo will only have limited service available to US customers later this year — coverage and price to be determined later — and is contracted by two airlines, JetBlue Airways in 2027 and Delta Air Lines in 2028. It will take several years and thousands more satellites launched for Leo to be able to offer widespread coverage in the US and elsewhere.

Of course, underestimate Jeff Bezos and his ability to compete and dominate at your peril.

Satellite internet is a big pie. Grand View Research estimates that the market will grow at a 15% rate from now until 2033, from $13.3 billion in 2026 to $35.7 billion by 2033. 

Hans Geerdes, a strategist at R&D firm CableLabs, said Starlink and its rivals pose a major threat to fixed internet service providers such as Xfinity, Verizon Home Internet and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. “I think every fixed broadband operator should be very worried,” Geerdes said earlier this year. “It’s basically the second coming of fixed wireless, but at much better economics and with very, very aggressive competitive behavior.”

Leo eyes faster satellite deployment

Thursday’s Leo launch was the last of eight with its Atlas V rocket, which had a 100% success rate. Leo will conduct future launches with its heavier Vulcan rocket, which can carry more satellites at a faster deployment rate.

Melissa Wuerl, director of launch systems for Leo, said in a statement that the company has “hundreds of flight-ready satellites standing by” at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The company reportedly has nearly 100 launches scheduled at a cost of $82 billion. The goal is to have 7,727 satellites up by 2035.

Leo and Starlink’s satellites operate roughly 350 to 500 miles above the Earth’s surface, in the region known as low earth orbit (hence Amazon’s name for them, taken from the acronym LEO). This lower altitude allows satellites to deliver faster internet speed and also keeps it more affordable to install satellites into orbit.

Amazon is also hoping to capture a large share of the direct-to-device internet market. Direct-to-device internet basically means that a person’s cell phone or other device connects directly to a satellite. Key to that strategy was the company’s $11.6 billion purchase in April of Globalstar, whose low-earth-orbit satellites provide coverage in over 120 countries.

Predator. Omen. Legion, Asus. Imposing gaming PC sub-brands signal the power that elevates them over web-and-Word workhorses. But even before AI model training became the new killer app, gaming wasn’t the only application where performance, even GPU performance, commanded a premium.

Workstations such as Lenovo’s ThinkPad P series and HP’s Z series, optimized for applications like advanced data science, computer-aided design and 3D model rendering, have long boasted specs similar to leading gaming PCs. However, they ship in more conservative exteriors, offer greater durability, and traverse different distribution channels en route to the desks of enterprise users.

Rowing machines are a great way to get a low-impact cardio workout in. However, it’s easy to use this machine improperly, which is why it’s helpful to know what the right technique looks like. Whether you’re new to rowing machines or have little experience with them, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to row properly. It may take some practice, but once you nail the technique, you’ll understand why this is one of the best ways to do cardio in a short period.

We spoke with a personal trainer to understand the common mistakes people make with a rowing machine and how to fix them with simple cues.

1. You’re mainly using your arms instead of your legs 

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One of the mistakes most people make when using a rowing machine is focusing too much on their arms rather than their legs. 

“Most people sit down and immediately pull with their biceps like it’s a cable row,” says Gerard Washack, personal trainer and owner of Strong Republic Personal Training. The problem with this approach is that rowing mainly requires leg strength. 

“About 60% of the power should come from your legs driving against the foot plate, 30% from the hips and back opening up and only 10% from the arms pulling the handle in at the very end,” Washack explains.

To help people improve their rowing technique, Washack says he changes how the handle is held: “I have people row with their hands off the handle and tuck the handle into your hip crease and just push with legs, then hips, then arms in that order.”

2. You’re not postured correctly

Poor posture is another mistake rowing machine users tend to make. If you have rounded shoulders and a hunched back, you’re not getting the most out of your rowing.  

“The spine has to stay long and the chest open during the whole move,” says Washack. He cues clients by telling them to imagine they’re sitting on a barstool with their chest up. 

Proper rowing should look long and smooth, with the legs pushing first. Then, the back opens, and the arms pull last. On the way back, the arms go away from the body first, the body hinges forward and then the knees bend last. By following these cues, it should feel like your legs are doing most of the work.

3. The damper is on the wrong setting

The damper, the dial found on the side of a rowing machine, controls how much air flows into the fan. This is what you use to adjust the resistance of the rowing machine, and it influences how heavy the stroke feels. 

“Beginners usually move it to 10 because they think harder is better,” Washack explains, adding, “The damper isn’t a resistance setting like a weight stack; instead, it’s more like a gear on a bike.” Depending on your fitness level, he recommends the following:

• Beginners should keep the damper settings between three and five.
• Intermediate users who have their form down can set the damper between four and six.
• Advanced rowers who focus on interval training or power can aim for seven or eight, and sometimes 10, on the damper. 

Ultimately, though, it’s more about the effort you put into the row. “Elite competitive rowers usually train at four or five,” Washack says, but they’re focusing on their output versus the number on the damper.  

4. Your rower lacks maintenance

The damper, the dial found on the side of a rowing machine, controls how much air flows into the fan. This is what you use to adjust the resistance of the rowing machine, and it influences how heavy the stroke feels. Although a rowing machine doesn’t require as much maintenance as other types of fitness equipment, you should still do your best to keep it clean and replace any worn-down parts. 

Washack recommends inspecting your rowing machine every month. “Inspect the chain or belt for wear, the seat rollers for dirt and the foot straps for fraying.” You should wipe down the seat and handle after every use, as sweat that falls onto the seat track can wear down the machine. 

Depending on the type of rower you own, you may need to focus on different parts for maintenance: 

Air rowers: If you own an air rower like the Concept2, these are the easiest rowing machines to take care of. The chain will need occasional oiling, and the flywheel cage (the enclosure where the fan sits) needs to be kept dust-free. 

Magnetic rowers: These are rowers that have the most electronic parts and mechanical complexity — similar to some of CNET’s favorite rowing machine picks. “The magnetic resistance system can wear or shift over time, and the cables connecting the resistance to the console can fray,” Washack explains. “I recommend checking those connections every couple of months.”

5. You’re using the rower for the wrong workouts

Unlike a treadmill or an exercise bike, where you can do long, steady workouts, a rowing machine is best used in short bursts. 

Washack likes prescribing intervals to clients who use the rowing machine. “Programs like four rounds of 500 meters with two minutes rest between are my go-to,” he says. “Another day, I do a longer, steady aerobic piece, 30 to 45 minutes at a conversational pace where your legs are working but you could still talk.” 

For clients looking to improve their power and speed, Washack focuses on eight rounds of 250 meters with a minute rest. 

6. It’s your primary workout

Unlike a treadmill or an exercise bike, where you can do long, steady workouts, a rowing machine is best used in short bursts. While rowing machines are great cardio machines, they shouldn’t be your main form of exercise. You should be following a strength-training program in addition to your rowing workouts. 

“Combine rowing with two days of traditional strength training, and you’ve got a complete program,” recommends Washack. 

Overall, finding a form of cardio you enjoy is important, since it will keep you consistent, and including strength training and mobility exercises will help you remain fit and strong.

General Motors sold roughly 14,000 Chevrolet Silverado EVs in the United States and Canada last year, according to GM Authority sales data. The petrol-powered Silverado moves more than ten times that volume in a single quarter. That gap, between what reviewers call one of the best electric trucks on the market and what buyers are actually willing to purchase, captures the central problem facing the American EV truck segment.

The numbers have only gotten worse. Silverado EV sales fell 41 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2026, and GM’s broader EV demand continued to decline into the second quarter. The automaker indefinitely suspended development of its next-generation full-size electric truck and SUV programme earlier this year, and took roughly eight billion dollars in EV-related charges during 2025, including writedowns tied to scrapped production plans and cancelled battery contracts.

On paper, the Silverado EV should be a compelling product. The LT Extended Range trim delivers an estimated 410 miles on a full charge from a 205 kilowatt-hour battery pack, the largest in any production pickup. It comes with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system, a Google-powered infotainment setup, and a list price of roughly $71,000, only about $5,000 above the average transaction price for a full-size pickup, according to CEIC data cited by TechCrunch.

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The problem is what happens when the truck works like a truck. Towing cuts range by roughly 60 percent, which means a fully loaded Silverado EV might manage around 160 miles before needing a charger. According to Strategic Vision survey data, 75 percent of truck owners tow at most once a year, so for most buyers the penalty is tolerable, but for those who haul regularly it remains a dealbreaker.

Price is the other barrier. The $71,000 LT Extended Range is close to the petrol average, but GM also offers an LT Max Range that costs roughly $20,000 more and adds just 68 miles. At that level, the Silverado EV competes with luxury SUVs rather than work trucks, and the federal tax credit that once softened the blow has expired.

GM is betting that its new lithium-manganese-rich battery chemistry will cut at least $6,000 from battery costs while preserving most of the range, but LMR cells are not expected in trucks until 2028. The Ford F-150 Lightning faces the same cost and range dynamic, and Ram’s electric truck has been delayed repeatedly. The American pickup market generates hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue, but the electric versions remain a rounding error in the sales column, waiting for the cost curve to catch up with the engineering.