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Emerging Tech Features

cat dna test feat

I tested my cat’s DNA, but the results only led to more mysteries

Why would you get your cat’s DNA tested? Some of it is superficial, like coat type and length, but the ones worth paying for will give you health information as well. Unfortunately, Basepaws just doesn’t have any health data at the moment.
Soft Robot

Forget metal. When it comes to robots, the future is soft and squishy

Some of today's most exciting robots don't resemble the hard, metallic machines that science fiction promised us. Welcome to the rapidly evolving world of soft robots. Here's how they are helping to permanently change the face of robotics as we know it -- and what this means.
Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy

Can A.I. truly be creative? One brilliant Brit makes a compelling case

Marcus du Sautoy is a bestselling author and one of the U.K.’s leading mathematicians. In his latest book, The Creativity Code, he asks the question whether artificial intelligence can ever be truly creative. Here's what du Sautoy told us about one of A.I.'s biggest conundrums.
nonny de la pea wants vr to be accessible everyone emblematicgroup fb 1

Nonny de la Peña wants to put virtual reality within Reach

Immersive journalism uses virtual reality to put viewers inside true stories and up close and personal with the subjects. Nonny de la Peña is a pioneer of the medium and hopes to make it more accessible with Reach, her WebVR platform.
youtube poop worthy respect feat

YouTube Poop is punk rock for the internet age, and you probably don’t get it

Ever heard of a YouTube Poop video? These weird, experimental pop culture montages are a kind of ground zero for modern internet meme culture. Turning 15 years old this year, is it time that we finally gave YouTube Poops the respect that their creators claim they deserve?
Women Scientists of the Manhattan Project

Hidden figures of the Manhattan Project: Meet the women behind the A-bomb (Part 2)

During World War II, thousands of people worked in various capacities building the first atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project is often thought of as a collection of brilliant men, but there were women scientists there, too. Unfortunately, the didn’t have the same opportunities as their male colleagues after the war was over. This is their story.
women scientists of the manhattan project part 1

Hidden figures of the Manhattan Project: Meet the women behind the A-bomb (Part 1)

During World War II, thousands of people worked in various capacities building the first atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project is often thought of as a collection of brilliant men, but there were women scientists there, too. Unfortunately, the didn’t have the same opportunities as their male colleagues after the war was over. This is their story.
twitter 13th birthday changed communication feat

Twitter is officially a teenager now. Are we raising a monster?

On March 21, 2006, Jack Dorsey sent the first ever tweet. Thirteen years later, Twitter has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. Here are some of the myriad ways that the popular microblogging service has amplified the human experience, for better and for worse.
Virtual reality dome impact of real-life scenarios on cognitive abilities

The U.S. Army is building a giant VR battlefield to train soldiers virtually

Imagine if U.S. Army soldiers were able to rehearse battlezone scenarios dozens, or even hundreds, or times before setting foot on actual terrain. That's what the Department of Defense's new VR Synthetic Training Environment hopes to make possible. Here is how it works.
ai spots writing by fake news feature

A.I.-generated text is supercharging fake news. This is how we fight back

Last month, OpenAI announced a text generating A.I. so scarily accurate they claimed it would be dangerous to release it. Now researchers have developed a tool to help spot text written by bots. Here's what it means for the future of fake news in an age of smart machines.
california uses blockchain and iot to manage groundwater use feature 5

Blockchain is overhyped, but it’s also perfect for California’s drought problem

A prolonged drought left California parched, and years of unregulated groundwater use exacerbated the damage. Now, with aquifers sinking, the state is looking for ways to manage groundwater, and a group of researchers is trying a combination of two exciting technologies: the internet of things and Blockchain.
Mark Zuckerberg speaking on stage

Yes, data is the new oil and the fight to reclaim it from tech giants starts now

From Europe to the United States, a growing number of new privacy laws promise to change the behavior of data-grubbing giants -- and the internet as a whole. Welcome to the revolution. Here's what you need to know about GDPR, CCPA, and their high-profile tech supporters.
Apeel Green Beans

Sick of fruits and veggies going bad? This second skin doubles their life spans

The world has a food spoilage problem. Could Apeel Sciences help with its concept of giving fresh produce a 'second skin' to keep it fresh for up to twice as long? Philanthropists including Bill and Melinda Gates certainly seem to think it can. Here's how Apeel's approach works.
facebook portal review  feat

Here’s how Facebook taught its Portal A.I. to think like a Hollywood filmmaker

When Facebook introduced its line of Portal screen-enhanced smart speakers, it wanted to find a way to make video chat as intimate as sitting down for a conversation with an old friend. Here's how its engineers tried to pull off the feat using some smart A.I. and a bit of human creativity.
global good brings life saving tech to developing countries feature 10

Global Good wants to rid the world of deadly diseases with lasers and A.I.

Bill Gates and Intellectual Ventures both invest money in Global Good, a program that brings together scientists from various backgrounds to tackle problems in the developing world, especially disease eradication. They try to find high-tech solutions target pneumonia, polio, and malaria.
smart cities singapore cityline feat

Singapore uses its smart city tech to help citizens cut through the red tape

Like many governments, Singapore’s puts citizens through plenty of red tape. But as part of its smart-city initiatives, the government is using tech to help guide residents through “moments of life,” such as enrolling kids in schools, obtaining a driver’s license, or even dealing with bereavement.
UCF Steam-powered spacecraft WINE

Does a steam-powered spacecraft hold the key to exploring the solar system?

Steam power might be poised to make a comeback. Researchers at University of Central Florida have built an experimental spacecraft that runs on steam — and it’s not nearly as ridiculous as it might sound.
state of wireless charging 2019 charger feat

Wireless charging is convenient, but power over distance remains a challenge

We’ve gotten pretty used to Qi wireless charging for our smartphones, which works through contact on a pad, but what about the prospect of wireless charging over distance? We look at the current landscape, analyze the big players, and discuss what’s next for wireless charging near and far.
Google DeepMind Hanabi

The next big challenge for Google’s A.I. is a card game you’ve never heard of

DeepMind, the Alphabet-owned deep learning company, has previously built machines that can master games like Go. What does it think is the next big frontier for machine intelligence? Mastering a cooperative card game about fireworks, called Hanabi. Here's why it's such a challenge.
fact checking coming to tv factstream feat 2

Real-time fact-checking is coming to live TV. But will networks use it?

Forget closed captioning; how about an automated fact-checker on your TV? That's something researchers from Duke University are hoping to introduce in time for 2020's election year. Here's how it might work, and why the truth problem could be A.I.'s biggest challenge yet.
icon a5 innovators flying car rs 4

Meet the Icon A5: a high-tech airplane that anyone can fly

Prior to hopping inside the Icon A5's cockpit, I had never set foot inside a single-engine aircraft -- let alone flown one. But thanks to some amazing design and technology, this plane is somehow so easy that I was able to fly it with just a few minutes of instruction
5g c 2vx guide traffic save lives smart cities feat

In smart cities, 5G won’t just lessen congestion, it could save lives too

We all know 5G wireless networks are part of a smart city plan, but how will they benefit? When it comes to cars, it could help with congestion. For citizens, it could keep them safe and alive. We spoke with Qualcomm and Verizon during the 2019 CES on how they’re leading the effort.
google project soli fcc approval

Google’s radar-sensing tech could make any object smart

From counting cards to recognizing Lego models, computer scientists from the University of St Andrews in Scotland recently demonstrated how Google’s Soli sensor can be used to make dumb objects smart. Here's why radar could help finally make the dream of smart homes a reality.
Yamaha Power Tuner App Motorcycle Phone Tool

Yamaha’s new app lets you tune your motorcycle with a smartphone

If you’re interested in tuning your dirt bike’s performance but aren’t interested in buying a bunch of specialized tools to get the job done, then you should definitely check out Yamaha’s new Power Tuner app. It’s a game-changer.
best pet tech ces 2019 wagz smart door feat

Treat your furry friend with the best pet tech at CES 2019

There were some intriguing and some slightly mad pet tech gadgets on show at CES 2019. From self-cleaning toilets for cats and dogs to genetic tests, dog flaps, and remote cameras. We've gathered together the cream of the crop right here, so you can see what's coming soon in the world of pet technology.
iotatrax hands on 2 press

Where are they now? A look back at last year’s Top Tech of CES winners

What happened to the 14 prize-winning products we singled out as the coolest things we saw at last year's CES 2018? Join us as we take a look at what the past 12 months has meant for each one. Spoilers: They're still as awesome as they were on the day that we first met them.
smart city security breaches could be lethal ottawa getty

Today, hacks are annoying. In future smart cities, they could kill

Corporate security breaches are becoming so common that people now accept them as part of a digital future. But for smart cities, system hacks could prove far dangerous for citizens, potentially causing havoc to municipality services. Here’s what companies and cities are doing to secure their systems.
5G

5 tech trends to watch in 2019 (and a reality check on last year’s picks)

elon musk starman space adventure spacex falcon heavy

These are the 10 most important tech news stories of 2018

From Facebook scandals to unprecedented space travel, 2018 has been a year of important, turbulent, exciting, worrying, and delightful tech news. In light of that, we count the 10 tech stories that will be influencing the future and impacting the way we use and think about technology.
future of food introduction beverage lab testing

From drones to smart pills, 2018 saw significant tech advances in medicine

Robots, A.I. algorithms, and drone deliveries are increasingly found in just about every industry and profession, Why not the medical world, too? Here are 2018's most significant landmark events where cutting-edge technology met medicine -- for better or, in one case, for worse.
bluetooth beacons and rfid bands the mall of america is a really smart city moa north entrance 2

Cities looking to get smart take a lesson from an iconic shopping mall

From Disney World to the Mall of America, public venues are turning out to be microcosms for smart city projects. Cities and towns looking to up their infrastructure game can extrapolate from the experience of major sports stadiums, for example, as demonstrations of what happens when you offer free Wi-Fi to 70,000 people. And metropolitan areas can learn from shopping hubs that have installed Bluetooth to pinpoint consumers.
elowan is a cyborg plant that can move towards the light lamps

Meet the MIT scientist who’s growing semi-sentient cyborg houseplants

boston dynamics atlas robot goes jogging rec

Rise of the Machines: Here’s how much robots and A.I. progressed in 2018

2018 has generated no shortage of news, and the fast-changing worlds of artificial intelligence and robotics are no exception. Here are our picks for the most exciting and game changing examples of A.I. and robots that we saw in the last 12 months. Get ready to have your mind blown!
columbus mayor talks progress in smart city goals circuit  5

Has Columbus, Ohio raised its IQ yet? A progress report from the mayor

The city of Columbus, Ohio, won $40 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to pursue smart city initiatives, beating 77 other U.S. cities. We spoke with its mayor, Andrew Ginther, to discuss progress and what’s ahead, and why Columbus is the best place to test new technologies.