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Trash

Wind and solar? Old news. California wants to vaporize trash to create energy

A forthcoming facility in California promises to transform tens of thousands of tons of landfill garbage into hydrogen each year. It hopes to be running by 2023.
LifeMech

The blueprint sprint: How a ragtag team of techies hacked the ventilator shortage

When COVID-19 threatened to result in a massive shortage of ventilators in Portland, Oregon, a team of engineers and physicians banded together to try and help.
Tesla

Tesla’s new million-mile battery could finally make electric cars affordable

The low-cost batteries would be able to last up to million miles and could make electric Tesla models the same price or even less than a car run by gasoline.
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

Soft robot exosuit helps people improve their walking after suffering a stroke

A robot exosuit developed by Harvard and Boston University researchers can help people who have suffered from strokes. Here's how.
amazons custom made face shields will be available to the public amazon shield

Amazon’s custom-made face shields available to the public at less than cost

Amazon will donate 3D-printed, medical-grade face shields to health care workers before making them available to the general public for a third of market price.
Razer vending machine selling masks

Razer to use vending machines to distribute millions of free face masks

The gaming hardware maker will deploy 20 of the machines in Singapore where the authorities have ordered everyone to wear a mask outside during the pandemic.
gosun flow solar power water purifier news

For thirsty campers, GoSun’s water purifier purges germs with power of the sun

The GoSun Flow can purify and heat water via solar power or USB. Its portability means you can have access to clean water no matter where you are.
stroma medical laser eye color change surgery

Gene therapy helps people with monochrome vision to see in color

Researchers in Germany have demonstrated that a new gene therapy can be used to help cure an extremely rare type of color blindness.
solar power

Lithium-ion is just the beginning. Here’s a peek at the future of batteries

Battery technology is booming right now. The pace of progress has picked up thanks to increased demand for portable power. What does the future hold?
robot firefighter

This next-gen firefighting robot has a spotter drone and a foam blaster

Estonian company Milrem Robotics has developed a new firefighting tank robot. Equipped with an accompanying drone and other tech, it's ready to battle blazes.
RangerBot

Caretaker bots and starfish assassins: Meet the tech that protects Earth’s reefs

Coral reefs are dying everywhere. Can technology help reverse this tragic trend? Here are six examples of cutting edge tech that might assist with exactly that.
online learning

How to get a free ’empowerment pack’ of mental health, productivity resources

The lives of many people have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Basecamp, Treehouse, and others are offering free software to help stay productive.
Summit supercomputer

An IBM supercomputer called Summit is taking on the coronavirus

IBM's Summit supercomputer, the most powerful computer on the planet, has been doing some important work for the development of a treatment for the coronavirus.
DeepScribe project 1

Deep-learning A.I. is helping archaeologists translate ancient tablets

Cutting-edge A.I. is helping translate 2,500-year-old clay tablet documents from Persia's Achaemenid Empire. Here's what researchers have developed to assist.
swinburne university bendable concrete

Environmentally friendly bendable concrete doesn’t shatter under pressure

Australian researchers' new concrete formulation is 400 times more bendable than the old-fashioned stuff. It's a whole lot more environmentally friendly, too.
vr medical training virti surgery simulation mediaca realities 2

VR is making medical training cheaper, better, and more accessible than ever

The recent wave of affordable VR headsets has made it possible to offer hands-on training to medical students who wouldn't otherwise be able to practice.
Cellular Seafood BlueNalu

Could cellular seafood take pressure off Earth’s overfished oceans?

These biotech companies want to produce seafood without the sea. Here's how they're doing it -- and why they believe that it's going to be a game-changer.
climate change is killing coffee farms so atomo brewing it without beans press orange fb

Climate change is killing coffee farms, so Atomo is brewing it without beans

Atomo Coffee doesn't use beans. Instead, it upcycles seeds and husks, while still keep the flavor and aroma of coffee, thanks to similar volatile compounds.
apple watch stroke study series 5 ecg

Thanks to the Apple Watch, time may be up for this silent killer

Apple wants to know if its Apple Watch can reduce the risk of stroke by detecting early signs of AFib through a new stroke study with Johnson & Johnson.
drone flies above masked man

Using drones to detect coronavirus? It’s not as crazy as it sounds

Could drones be used to monitor the spread of coronavirus? Absolutely, says the CEO of a top drone company. And it's already been approached about doing it.
A 23andme DNA kit.

Could 23andMe’s new pharmaceutical friends finally find a fix for psoriasis?

23andMe has spent years collecting genetic samples from users, and with their consent they've begun developing pharmaceuticals to treat specific diseases. Their latest collaboration with Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall could treat some distressing skin conditions.
Untitled Goose Game

Untitled Goose Game studio to donate 1% of income, forever. Others should follow.

Untitled Goose Game's developer, House House, will donate 1% of its income to Australia's indigenous people in perpetuity. This long-lasting effort sets a model for giving that other, larger game studios could, and should, follow.
carnegie mellon help speech project female smartphone generic getty

Filter by positivity: This new A.I. could detoxify online comment threads

Internet comments frequently descend into toxic hate speech. Could an algorithm that instead focuses on highlighting 'help speech' be the answer? A.I. researchers from Carnegie Mellon University believe it could. Here's what they've developed -- and why they believe it may be so useful.
game companies supporting australian fire relief 8bitkangarookoalaaustralia

Join the fight against Australia’s bushfires with these gaming offers

Several video game companies are currently assisting in relief efforts for Australia during its massive bushfires. Activities range from fundraising through shirts and in-game items to direct donations. We'll let you know the steps you can take to donate to the country during its time of need.
google-diversity-and-inclusion-product-team

Exclusive: Google reveals 2,000-person diversity and inclusion product team

Google has built a 2,000-person strong team of what it calls Inclusion Champions over the last three years to help test out prototypes of new devices and services to ensure that everything the company releases is built from the ground up to address people of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Lg Indoor Garden

LG not only wants to keep your leafy greens fresh, but help you grow them too

Indoor gardens may feel like an idea past its prime, but LG thinks our increasing desire to eat healthier might sell this modern take. The garden would attach to and complement your existing LG refrigerator, and have enough space to grow two dozen plants at once, feeding a family of four.
A mannequin with a creep mask holds a drone demonstrating flexible lithium-ion batteries at CES 2020 Unveiled

At CES 2020, technology is still the hero

Is technology a hero or a villain? Technology seems like public enemy No. 1 on the streets, but in Las Vegas for CES 2020, entrepreneurs still believe technology has the capacity to improve life, and maybe even fix some of the problems it has caused. Count us among the optimists.

How HP made the new Elite Dragonfly one of the most sustainable laptops ever

As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, HP is introducing a new laptop that's unlike any other, as it's made of 80% recycled materials. From the speakers, the keyboard, and more, this is a laptop that will make you love the earth. 
Twitter icon

Twitter stops some images from animating to protect those with epilepsy

The Epilepsy Foundation’s Twitter account was recently bombarded with flashing images designed to trigger a seizure among those with the condition. Twitter this week announced a change to its handling of Animated PNG files aimed at reducing the chances of a similar kind of incident happening again.
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IBM’s new battery may outperform lithium-ion, and it doesn’t use conflict minerals

The heavy metals used to make modern batteries are an environmental and humanitarian nightmare. IBM is busy developing a novel battery technology which could eliminate the need for such materials altogether in battery production. And it has some impressive performance boosts, too.
jbl reflect eternal solar wireless headphones indiegogo

JBL’s solar-powered headphones could eliminate the need for recharging

If you've ever worried about how long your wireless headphones will last on a charge, or worried about the toll all of that recharging is taking on the planet, JBL's Reflect Eternal Headphones might be what you're looking for. With a solar-collecting headband, JBL claims you might never need to plug-in again.
apple siri whispering

Siri helped save a teenager after his vehicle crashed into icy river

Apple's digital assistant Siri helped save 18-year old Gael Salcedo, who found himself in a freezing river after losing control of his Jeep. The teenager could not locate his phone after the accident so he asked Siri to call 911, sending firefighters to the scene to carry out the rescue.
robots taser weeds small robot company

These robots taser weeds to death so farmers don’t need chemical herbicides

A new agricultural robotics startup called the Small Robot Company has come up with a trio of robots that hunt weeds down, kill them with mini blasts of lightning, and then plant crops in their place. Here's what the company has developed -- and what its future plans are.
comcast xfinity stream app vr goggles visually impaired nueyes e2 low vision electronic magnifier yard 1

The visually impaired can now watch Comcast TV channels on VR goggles

For years, if you were legally blind and wanted to watch TV, your choices were slim. Most people resorted to described video soundtracks as a way to "hear" what was going on. Comcast has joined up with NuEyes to offer a second option: Watching live and on-demand TV on VR goggles for those with visual impairments.