Tag: News

AITechnology

Would you wear this ‘shoe-like vessel’ made from genetically engineered bacteria?

 Naomi  0 234 

Transitioning towards sustainable clothing practices is a must for combating climate change, so researchers are turning to bacteria for their fashion inspiration. As detailed in the research journal Nature Biotechnology, a team at Imperial College London has genetically engineered new microbial strains capable of being woven into wearable material, while simultaneously self-dyeing itself in the process. The result is a new vegan, plastic-free leather that’s suitable for items such as wallets and shoes—although perhaps not the most fashionable looking shoes…

AITechnology

A 3,200-megapixel digital camera is ready for its cosmic photoshoot

 Naomi  0 30 

The world’s largest digital camera is officially ready to begin filming “the greatest movie of all time,” according to its makers. This morning, engineers and scientists at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory announced the completion of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera, a roughly 6,610-pound, car-sized tool designed to capture new information about the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Following a two-decade construction process, the 3,200-megapixel LSST Camera will now travel to…

AITechnology

Vernor Vinge, influential sci-fi author who warned of AI ‘Singularity,’ has died

 Emma  0 135 

Vernor Vinge, prolific science-fiction writer, professor, and one of the first prominent thinkers to conceptualize the concepts of a “Technological Singularity” and cyberspace, has died at the age of 79. News of his passing on March 20 was confirmed through a Facebook post from author and friend David Brin, citing complications from Parkinson’s Disease. “Vernor enthralled millions with tales of plausible tomorrows, made all the more vivid by his polymath masteries of language, drama, characters, and the implications of science,”…

Technology

New App Can Diagnose Ear Infections In Children With 93% Accuracy

 sykes  0 51 

PITTSBURGH — Do you think your child has an ear infection? Parents will soon be able to turn to their smartphone to get a diagnosis. Physician-scientists from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the University of Pittsburgh have unveiled a novel cellphone application designed to accurately diagnose ear infections, formally known as acute otitis media (AOM), in young children. This innovative app, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI). Its introduction could mark a significant step forward in reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions,…

Technology

Phone Service Outage: 9 Things To Do If Your Provider Is Disrupted

 Amy  0 34 

AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile customers across the United States were hit with a major outage on Thursday, leaving many unable to make calls, send text messages, or access the internet on their mobile devices. AT&T was hit particularly hard, with the telecommunications giant acknowledged the widespread service disruption. Many customers were panicking and even fearing an act of digital warfare at play. The outage appears to have stemmed from technical issues related to the handoff process between cellular towers, according…

AITechnology

Flexible, resilient origami-inspired bridges could help navigate disaster zones

 Ingle  0 93 

Origami traditionally involves the creation of extremely delicate paper structures, but the art form’s underlying principles could soon be adapted to help navigate tough construction situations. That’s the theory behind a new series of collapsible components designed by a team of University of Michigan engineering professors. When unfolded and assembled using hinges and locks, the researchers’ pieces combine to become extremely sturdy modular structures. Given their design’s impressive durability and spatial economy, the new origami-inspired constructions could be deployed across…

AITechnology

A cargo ship’s ‘WindWing’ sails saved it up to 12 tons of fuel per day

 sykes  0 89 

A shipping vessel left China for Brazil while sporting some new improvements last August—a pair of 123-feet-tall, solid “wings” retrofitted atop its deck to harness wind power for propulsion assistance. But after its six-week maiden voyage testing the green energy tech, the Pyxis Ocean MC Shipping Kamsarmax vessel apparently had many more trips ahead of it. Six months later, its owners at the shipping company, Cargill, shared the results of those journeys this week—and it sounds like the vertical WindWing…

AITechnology

Researchers propose fourth traffic signal light for hypothetical self-driving car future

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Fully self-driving cars, despite the claims of some companies, aren’t exactly ready to hit the roads anytime soon. There’s even a solid case to be made that completely autonomous vehicles (AVs) will never take over everyday travel. Regardless, some urban planners are already looking into ensuring how such a future could be as safe and efficient. According to a team at North Carolina State University, one solution may be upending the more-than-century-old design of traffic signals. The ubiquity of stop…

AITechnology

Huge 60-foot-tall buoy uses ocean waves to create clean energy

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Giant buoys over 60-feet tall may one day generate clean energy to feed into local power grids—but making it a reality isn’t as simple as going with the ocean’s flow. To successfully keep the idea afloat, it’s all about timing. Swedish company CorPower recently announced the completion of its first commercial scale buoy generator demonstration program off the coast of northern Portugal. Over the course of a six-month test run, CorPower’s three-story C4 Wave Energy Converter (WEC) endured four major…

AITechnology

Airbnb finally bans all indoor security cameras

 Amy  0 110 

Certain Airbnb hosts will need to make a few adjustments to their properties. On Monday, the short-term rental service announced it is finally prohibiting the use of all indoor security cameras, regardless of room location. For years, hosts could install video cameras in “common areas” such as living rooms, kitchens, and hallways, so long as they were both clearly visible and disclosed in the listings. Beginning April 30, however, zero such devices are permitted within any Airbnb location around the…

AITechnology

Hat-wearing cyborg jellyfish could one day explore the ocean depths

 Amy  0 90 

To better understand the ocean’s overall health, researchers hope to harness some of evolution’s simplest creatures as tools to assess aquatic ecosystems. All they need is $20 worth of materials, a 3D-printer, and some jellyfish hats.  Jellyfish first began bobbing through Earth’s ancient oceans at least half a billion years ago, making them some of the planet’s oldest creatures. In all that time, however, their biology has remained pretty consistent—a bell-shaped, brainless head attached to a mass of tentacles, all…

AITechnology

TSA is testing a self-screening security checkpoint in Vegas

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The Transportation Security Administration is launching the pilot phase of an autonomous self-screening checkpoint system. Unveiled earlier this week and scheduled to officially open on March 11 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, the station resembles grocery store self-checkout kiosks—but instead of scanning milk and eggs, you’re expected to…scan yourself to ensure you aren’t a threat. Or at least that’s what it seems from the looks of it. “We are constantly looking at innovative ways to enhance the…