MicroG

MicroG, a free and open-source re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user-space components, is drawing attention from developers interested in running Android without Google's proprietary software. The project, hosted on GitHub as GmsCore, provides open replacements for Google Play services, letting users run apps on de-Googled Android systems while retaining compatibility. Discussions centre on privacy, software freedom, and how well the reimplementation works in practice.

Investors are pouring money into microgrid technology as the global race to scale artificial intelligence accelerates, according to Reuters. The surge is driven by AI data centres' enormous and rapidly growing electricity demands, which are straining existing power grids. Companies are turning to localised microgrids to secure reliable, dedicated power supplies for computing infrastructure.

A new review published by Cambridge University Press examines how carotenoids found in Brassicaceae microgreens may help modulate metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. The paper reviews evidence that these young vegetable greens, rich in pigments like lutein and beta-carotene, could influence metabolic pathways and support prevention strategies, positioning microgreens as a functional food of growing nutritional interest.

A laboratory cell study reports that esketamine, the antidepressant related to ketamine, appears to steer microglia — the brain's immune cells — away from an inflammatory state, acting through the NMDAR2A receptor. The finding, covered by science news outlet Bioengineer.org, may offer a clue to how the drug works beyond its known effects on depression symptoms.

Siemens has unveiled a microgrid at its North Carolina headquarters. The project, reported by Solar Builder, showcases the company's own distributed energy technology combining on-site power generation with grid controls. It serves as a demonstration of Siemens' microgrid capabilities for commercial customers, underlining the growing industry focus on energy resilience and self-sufficient power systems at corporate facilities.

NASA's original plan to demonstrate its new lunar and microgravity spacesuits in 2025 and 2026 is being called overly optimistic and unrealistic. Based on historical schedule averages, Axiom Space's testing timeline could push the spacesuit demonstrations back to 2031, raising fresh concerns about delays to the Artemis moon programme and future spacewalk plans.

Le Monde's Chaleur humaine column examines how a neighbourhood can be supplied with electricity 'in a short circuit', using microgrids that combine local renewable generation and storage. The explainer walks through how such small, local networks operate alongside the main grid, and what they mean for the shift to renewables and more decentralised power supply.

MicroG, a free and open-source re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user-space components, is drawing attention among developers. The project lets Android devices run without Google Play Services, allowing apps that depend on Google libraries to function on de-Googled phones. Discussion is centered on its role in privacy-focused and custom Android setups, with the project's code and documentation hosted openly on GitHub.

SpaceX is presenting its Starfall vehicle as a service providing routine access to microgravity. The announcement frames regular flights to weightless conditions as an operational offering rather than one-off missions. Details about customers, pricing, flight schedule or payload capacity have not been made available, so the scope and credibility of the service remain to be seen.