Europe wasted no time using its landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) to try to rein in Big Tech. Companies like Apple, Meta, and Google have faced steep fines and orders to modify their business practices since the law came into force in 2024. And the hits keep on coming for Big Tech in Europe. After several months of consideration, the European Commission has announced new DMA measures that will force Google to support interoperability and competition in the European Union, and Google is not happy about it.
The new "specification measures" cover two elements of Google's business: Android phones and search. Both changes could theoretically increase competition and give users more choices, but Google claims they will undermine privacy and security. But as a "gatekeeper" under the DMA, Google has no choice but to comply. As the European Commission points out in its announcement, these decisions are legally binding.
On Android, Google will have to open up access to competing AI platforms. Currently, Google's Gemini gets preferential access to the system. Gemini is preloaded on all Google-certified Android phones and can wake up in response to the "Hey Google" hot word. Google's AI also includes system and app automation features, screen content access, and more.
If you're reading this while the blinds are drawn against yet another heat wave and wondering whether itβs finally time to buy an air conditioner, you're far from alone. At the end of June, as temperatures climbed well above 40Β° Celsius across Europe, shoppers in France literally forced their way into stores to snatch up portable fans and ACs before they sold out. Such scenes are likely to become more common. As the planet warms, the demand for cooling is rising worldwide. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts two-thirds of households could own an AC by 2050.
Politicians are, of course, turning ACs into a weapon in their broader culture wars. Far-right figure Marine Le Pen pledged to roll out air-conditioning across France if her party comes to power, while the British Conservatives vowed to overturn net-zero rules that restrict AC installation in new builds. On the left, the argument runs that air-conditioning would mainly benefit the rich and not those who need it most. It would also lock Europe into the same high-energy cooling spiral seen in the US and Asia. To date, only around 20 percent of Europeans have AC at home (and a mere 4 percent in the UK), compared with roughly 90 percent in the US, where electricity is considerably cheaper.
In Europe, air-conditioning is no longer just about comfort. It helps adults stay productive through extreme heat, and children concentrate in poorly ventilated schools. It helps people nod off when the air is still stiflingly warm long after sunset. It can even save lives. One research group estimated that air-conditioning prevented nearly 200,000 premature deaths among people over 65 in 2019 alone.
Blood pressure is one of the so-called βvital signsβ that medical practitioners use to determine the basic state of a patient in any given moment. Itβs exactly what it sounds likeβa measurement of the pressure of the blood flowing through the body, with some complications to account for the pulsatile nature of human blood flow.
You might think measuring blood pressure is a solved concern, and itΒ mostlyΒ is. With that said, some blood pressure monitors out there arenβt quite doing their job properly, and [Milos Rasic] came to Hackaday Europe 2026 to spell out the problem.
Under Pressure
Before exploring the issue, itβs worth first understanding how blood pressure is actually measured. On a baseline level, itβs the same as pressure being measured in any other fluid. Specifically, though, when it comes to blood, itβs important to measure the pressure at two points. There is the peak, when the heart muscle is contracting, referred to as systolic pressure, and the low point, when the heart relaxes, referred to as diastolic pressure. Thus, blood pressure is referred to with two numbers, such as β140 over 90β or 140/90, referring to systolic and diastolic pressures respectively. Itβs sometimes important to track the mean arterial pressure, too. Typically, nominal blood pressure would be considered around 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure, or hypertension, starts at figures over 130/80 mmHg, while low blood pressure, or hypotension, would be considered relevant below 90/60 mmHg.
Blood pressure can be monitored in a number of ways. Most of the time, non-invasive methods are preferred, whether in the doctorβs office or at home. [Milos] notes that the classic hand-pumped blood pressure cuff device (sphygmomanometer) and a stethoscope is still a perfectly excellent way to measure blood pressure in a clinical scenario. This is referred to as the Korotkoff method, where the doctor listens for pulsations in the artery to begin as the pressure of the cuff slowly drops below the systolic pressure, and then later ease as it reduces below the diastolic pressure, monitoring pressure in the cuff on a gauge as they go. Then there are digital versions of arm cuff blood pressure monitors, which [Milos] notes can have some problems. Meanwhile, there are advanced technologies in development to do live measurement with things like mmWave radar devices or ultrasonic tricks, but theyβre still emerging and less established in clinical contexts.
Many cheap electronic blood pressure monitors use the oscillometric method to measure blood pressure. Few manufacturers share the algorithms they use, but [Milos] has found many use something similar to the above, approximating systolic and diastolic pressures from measurements taken to find the mean arterial pressure. Credit: presentation slides[Milosβs] talk focuses on the digital oscillometric analysis that is behind cheap electronic blood pressure monitors that commonly retail for $30-50. These devices start by pumping up an arm cuff to well above typical systolic pressures, before slowly letting it deflate. A sensor hooked up to the cuff is used to monitor the pressure during deflation. When the cuff is below systolic pressure but above diastolic pressure, the pressure in the cuff will oscillate with the pulsing of the blood flow. When isolated from the overall pressure loss from deflation, the amplitude of this oscillatory signal is maximum at the mean arterial pressure. According to [Milos], itβs common for electronic blood pressure monitors to then take some figure like 40% and 80% of the amplitude of the oscillation envelope, and grab the systolic and diastolic pressure values at those points.Β As far as accuracy goes, this method isnβt exactly perfect, being more of a useful approximation rather than something thatβs rooted in a true direct measurement. Furthermore, [Milos] notes that, for example, Category A blood pressure monitors are only expected to land within a +/- 15 mmHg range, for 85% of their measurements. Thatβs not fantastic.
[Milos] has invested a great deal of time into the Open Cardiography Digital Measuring Device, hoping to better investigate alternative methods of measuring blood pressure in a non-invasive manner.[Milos] notes that itβs important to allow the patient to sit still for five minutes before measurement if numbers are to be at all comparable between checks, as many factors can influence blood pressure in the moment.The method used by these electronic devices tends to be a little inaccurate compared to the traditional clinical methods performed by trained professionals. For that reason, [Milos] developed the Open Cardiography Signal Measuring Device. It is specifically designed to test different algorithms for blood pressure measurement. It can measure pressure in an arm cuff, and also takes signals from a photopletyzmography (PPG) clamp for measuring blood oxygen saturation.Β There are also inputs for ECG and digital stethoscope signals, too. [Milos] has published the deviceβs design on Github for anyone to explore as desired. His talk explains how the device came together, and how he has been using it to evaluate the accuracy of off-the-shelf monitors and the use of alternative algorithms to those used in such units. He also discusses the challenges of measuring blood pressure accurately in this way when dealing with, for example, patients with less stable heart rates.
Itβs an interesting exploration of a very specific part of vital sign measurement that few of us ever think about in detail. Sometimes it pays to know how the machines that youβre getting measurements from actually work, and whether you can trust what theyβre saying. In the world of blood pressure measurement, [Milos] has done just that.
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