Russian engineers tested a system for obtaining drinking water from air in the hot climate of Uzbekistan

Russian specialists have developed a special unit capable of extracting up to a thousand liters of drinking water from atmospheric air daily. This technology was first successfully tested in the arid climate of Uzbekistan and subsequently in India.

The system has been named 'Water in the Desert' and is designed to operate across a wide temperature range, from plus twelve to plus sixty degrees Celsius. According to the creators, one basic set of equipment is sufficient to supply water to small settlements, tourist camps, industrial facilities, or remote field bases.

Significance of Tests in Uzbekistan

The tests in Uzbekistan were particularly significant because they were conducted in 2024 under conditions of severe drought. This allowed for testing the system's functionality in areas where the combination of high temperature and low humidity significantly complicates the process of extracting water from the air. In 2025, testing continued in India.

The principle of operation involves the unit drawing in surrounding atmospheric air and passing it through several preparatory stages. Subsequently, the airflow is directed to cooling plates. As a result of cooling, the water vapor contained in the air condenses and transforms into liquid water.

After this, the treated air enters a recuperator—a device designed to return some heat and transfer it to the next stream of air. The developers note that thanks to this scheme, energy consumption has been reduced to 0.4–0.7 kilowatt-hours per liter of water obtained.

A key advantage of this unit is its ability to operate effectively even at very low humidity levels, as low as five grams per cubic meter of air. This makes it suitable for use in the arid regions of Central Asia, as well as in the Middle East and Africa, where other systems fail. For comparison, devices based on direct cooling, like air conditioners, typically require at least eight to ten grams per cubic meter.

It was previously noted that Central Asia has faced an unprecedented shortage of water resources due to a five-year drought. The period from 2021 to 2025 has been recognized as the hottest for the region in the last 40 years, and soil moisture levels have reached historically low marks.

super.abril.com.brAugust 13, 20:02

Four notable technological products from August 2026 were presented

Several innovative devices were launched or highlighted in August 2026, ranging from pet trackers to artificial intelligence peripherals and virtual reality equipment.

Starlink Canine Tracker

The Fi Ultra locator represents a significant advancement, being the first device capable of establishing a direct connection with the Starlink satellite network. This allows dogs to be located anywhere, including in remote areas where cellular network coverage is nonexistent. This gadget weighs 68 grams, is water-resistant, and can be attached to any collar. Its rechargeable battery offers five days of autonomy. Currently, the use of this device is restricted to the United States, not functioning in other countries, even if Starlink signal is present. The cost of the device is US$ 219, plus an annual fee of US$ 189.

Self-Cleaning Bottle

In response to the difficulties in sanitizing reusable bottles, which can accumulate contamination, a study conducted with metal bottles used by students at Purdue University in the USA revealed that 25% of them contained fecal bacteria. To solve this problem, Sans launched a model for US$ 80 that incorporates a UV-C lamp in the cap. By pressing a button, the feature is activated, eliminating 99.9% of microorganisms present in both the water and inside the bottle. The bottle weighs 316 grams, holds 500 ml, and uses a rechargeable battery lasting two weeks.

OpenAI Keyboard

OpenAI acquired io Products, a company belonging to the British Jony Ive, who previously held the position of Vice President of Design at Apple and was instrumental in the development of iconic products such as the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. There are speculations that Ive and OpenAI are developing a new artificial intelligence-based artifact. However, the first piece of hardware launched by the company associated with ChatGPT is a compact keyboard called Codex Micro, sold for US$ 230. This keyboard was designed in collaboration with the design studio Work Louder and includes keys intended to operate Codex, an AI agent assisting in software writing.

Valve Headset

Valve surprised the market by introducing the Steam Machine, a hybrid console and gaming PC, with a high price ranging between US$ 1,049 and US$ 1,428, depending on the chosen configuration. Subsequently, the company presented the Steam Frame, a virtual reality headset. This equipment can be used connected to a PC to run games from the Steam platform, or independently, as it has its own processor, a Snapdragon 8 Series, and 16 GB of RAM. However, due to the sharp increase in memory costs, Valve has postponed the launch of the Steam Frame and has not yet disclosed its final price.

olhardigital.com.brAugust 13, 20:00

Amazon offers selection of Echo Dots on sale for smart homes with Alexa

For those who wish to modernize their home and have a virtual assistant always available, this is a good time. Three options of the Echo Dot, Amazon's smart speaker with Alexa, have been selected and presented in various colors to match any decor.

Among the highlighted features of these devices are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, robust sound, and priority access to the Alexa+ service.

Echo Dot (Latest Generation) | Blue Color

The blue-toned Echo Dot model provides vivid and powerful sound for any residential room. It has native Wi-Fi and Bluetooth integration, facilitating connection to the home network and other devices. Alexa is ready to perform tasks such as playing music, answering questions, and managing smart devices, in addition to offering early access to Alexa+ features.

The black version of the Echo Dot is ideal for those seeking a more sober and elegant look. Its performance is identical to that of the other versions: it features high-quality audio, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and Alexa is ready to assist at any moment. The benefit of early access to Alexa+ allows users to experience the assistant's innovations before other users.

For environments that value a lighter and contemporary aesthetic, the white Echo Dot integrates perfectly into the design. In addition to its minimalist appearance, the device delivers all the qualities of the Echo Dot line: powerful sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, and full integration with Alexa. With early access to Alexa+, the user can start exploring the latest functionalities of Amazon's assistant.

It is important to note that the stock for these promotions may run out quickly, so it is recommended to access the links to choose the desired color and bring Alexa technology home.

tecnoblog.netAugust 13, 19:37

uBlock Origin stops blocking ads on Facebook due to Meta changes

uBlock Origin has decided to suspend ad blocking on the Facebook platform. This decision was made after years of efforts to keep up with the changes implemented by Meta, which aim to make digital advertising detection more difficult, according to the tool's responsible team.

A project participant confirmed that Meta is constantly altering the structure of Facebook pages to bypass blockers. For this reason, the project, which is mainly composed of volunteer developers, will no longer prioritize the social network.

It is important to note that this modification does not imply that the ad blocker tool will stop operating in general, nor that all Facebook ads will automatically start being shown to users.

The conflict between Facebook and ad blockers is not new. According to Neowin, Meta has been employing methods in recent years to make viewing ads more complex for browser extensions. uBlock Origin, for example, has versions available for Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.

Among the tactics used by Meta, the fragmentation of terms like "Sponsored" stands out, where the word is divided into separate letters within the page code. Another strategy involves inserting false characters and randomly changing the order of letters in the source code.

A developer mentioned in the project forum that Meta monitors open-source projects to develop countermeasures. Maintainers reported that this resulted in a 'code war' that required new adaptations with every fix made.

With this outcome, the main developers will cease updating the official filtering lists specific to Facebook. However, uBlock Origin will continue to accept voluntary contributions sent by external users.

The extension has already stopped working on Google Chrome after the definitive transition to the Manifest V3 standard, while Microsoft has set a schedule to discontinue support on Edge. Currently, the blocker operates normally on browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Brave.

Although primarily associated with users who wish to browse without commercial interruptions, ad blockers are also used by individuals seeking to avoid certain types of advertising, such as gambling. Thus, uBlock Origin's decision occurs in a context where Meta's oversight of ads is being questioned by regulatory bodies and digital protection entities.

In January, the UK Gambling Commission accused the company of allowing the display of illegal online casino ads on Facebook and Instagram. Many of these materials used the expression "Not on GamStop," referencing the British self-exclusion system for gamblers.

More recently, an investigation revealed that Meta had approved paid ads containing explicit material of child sexual abuse generated by artificial intelligence and links to forced nudity apps. Such advertisements were found on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, and the company removed the content after being notified.