MAROKO133 Breaking ai: Sunlight-powered liquid gallium process produces clean hydrogen fro

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: Sunlight-powered liquid gallium process produces clean hydr

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a sunlight-powered method to produce clean hydrogen from both freshwater and seawater using liquid metals.

The process avoids several long-standing barriers in green hydrogen production, including the need for purified water and high energy inputs.

The technique relies on liquid gallium, a metal with a low melting point, to extract hydrogen directly from water when exposed to light.

By using sunlight or artificial light, the method enables hydrogen generation without external electricity or complex infrastructure.

Hydrogen has long been seen as a promising clean fuel for industries ranging from transport and energy to manufacturing and agriculture.

However, producing green hydrogen at scale has remained expensive and inefficient, largely due to the energy required to split water molecules and the reliance on purified water sources.

The new approach allows hydrogen to be harvested from readily available water sources, including seawater, while maintaining competitive efficiency.

Lead author and PhD candidate Luis Campos said, “We now have a way of extracting sustainable hydrogen, using seawater, which is easily accessible while relying solely on light for green hydrogen production.”

Sunlight meets liquid metals

At the core of the system is gallium, a metal that becomes liquid slightly above room temperature. When gallium particles are suspended in water and exposed to light, they undergo a surface reaction that releases hydrogen.

The metal reacts with water to form gallium oxyhydroxide while freeing hydrogen molecules.

Senior researcher Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering said the work demonstrates the untapped chemical potential of liquid metals.

“For the first proof-of-concept, we consider the efficiency of this technology to be highly competitive,” he said.

The team achieved a maximum efficiency of 12.9 percent and is now working to improve it for commercial use.

Unlike conventional water-splitting methods such as electrolysis, the gallium-based process does not require purified water or expensive catalysts. It can operate with both freshwater and seawater, reducing cost and complexity.

This makes the system attractive for large-scale deployment, particularly in coastal or water-scarce regions.

The process is also circular. After hydrogen is released, the gallium oxyhydroxide formed during the reaction can be converted back into gallium and reused.

“After we extract hydrogen, the gallium oxyhydroxide can also be reduced back into gallium and reused for future hydrogen production, which we term a circular process,” Professor Kalantar-Zadeh said.

Built for scalable hydrogen

The researchers note that liquid gallium has rarely been explored for hydrogen production despite its unusual properties.

At room temperature, it appears solid, but it melts at near body temperature. In water and under light, its normally non-reactive surface begins to oxidize, triggering hydrogen release.

“Galiium has not been explored before as a way to produce hydrogen at high rates when in contact with water – such a simple observation that was ignored previously,” Professor Kalantar-Zadeh said.

Project co-lead Dr. Francois Allioux highlighted the broader implications of the work, saying, “Hydrogen offers a clean energy solution for a sustainable future and could play a pivotal role in Australia’s international advantage in a hydrogen economy.”

The team is now focused on increasing efficiency and building a mid-scale reactor to test real-world performance. If successful, the technology could offer a practical and scalable route to green hydrogen using abundant water and sunlight.

The study was published in Nature Communications.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: Google tightens subscription leash by limiting lyrics for f

Google is tightening limits on free YouTube Music accounts, this time by restricting access to song lyrics. Users without a paid subscription now face a cap on how many times they can view lyrics before the app pushes them toward a Premium upgrade.

What began as a quiet test now appears to be rolling out more widely.

For years, YouTube Music allowed all mobile users to view lyrics without limits. That policy started shifting in recent months.

Free users can still see the lyrics tab while a song plays, but opening it now consumes part of a limited allowance. Once that allowance runs out, the app prompts users to pay.

Reports of the restriction have increased sharply. The surge suggests Google has expanded the test beyond small experimental groups.

Many users now encounter a warning that reads, “You have [x] views remaining,” when opening lyrics.

Lyrics move behind paywall

Based on current reports, YouTube Music allows around five lyric views before cutting off access. The exact number appears inconsistent.

Some users report slightly different limits, which aligns with Google’s description of the feature as a test rather than a fixed policy.

Despite the growing impact, Google has not formally announced lyrics as a Premium feature.

The company’s support pages still make no mention of lyrics as a paid benefit. That silence has added to confusion among users who see a long-standing feature suddenly restricted.

Google confirmed to Ars Technica that it has not made a final decision. The company described the change as an “experiment” and said the number of free lyric views can vary.

According to Google, “the vast majority” of users still retain free access to lyrics. Even so, the rapid rise in user reports suggests broader deployment.

Users react to limits

The move echoes a similar decision by Spotify. In 2024, Spotify limited lyrics for free users. The backlash was swift and intense.

After widespread complaints, Spotify reversed course and restored lyric access on ad-supported accounts.

YouTube Music operates on a smaller scale than Spotify. That difference may dampen public backlash.

Many YouTube Music subscribers also pay for YouTube Premium to avoid ads on videos. Those users may not even notice the lyric restriction.

Still, lyrics hold practical value. Many listeners use them to follow along, understand unfamiliar languages, or sing while commuting. Locking that feature risks alienating casual users who rely on free access.

The lyric test fits into a broader pattern. Google has steadily increased restrictions on free YouTube usage.

These include tougher ad policies and limits on background playback. Each change nudges users toward subscriptions.

Financial results suggest the strategy works. In its most recent earnings report, Google said YouTube generated $60 billion in revenue.

That figure includes advertising, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV. The total marks an increase of nearly $10 billion from the previous year.

For now, Google continues to frame lyric limits as a test. But as the rollout widens, free users face a clear message. Features once taken for granted may soon come with a price.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com