Add futuristic AR to your bike helmet with the Argon Transform
Singapore-based startup Whyre have a simple way to make any bike helmet smart, using an attachment which can overlay AR information on a helmet's visor. They showed off the Argon Transform at CES 2019 this year -- a dual-camera system with one camera on the back of a helmet and one on the front.
Futuristic mask filters out air pollution for cyclists and runners
A big concern for cyclists in urban environments is staying safe, not only from car crashes but also from airborne pollutants. A cycling mask shown off at CES 2019 could help combat this problem by filtering out air pollution like toxic particles and diesel to keep cyclists' lungs clear as they ride.
Bring Google Assistant into your car with the Roav Bolt, shown at CES 2019
You can now take your Google Assistant out of your home and into your car with a gadget from Anker called the Roav Bolt. The smart car charger will be compatible even with older car models and it can add features like voice navigation, music controls, and notifications to your regular car.
Connected car system will recognize your face and monitor your driving
Today's drivers expect user-friendly instrument clusters and infotainment systems for navigation and passenger entertainment, but many systems are siloed and unattractive. An in-vehicle experience showcased by Harman at CES 2019 aims to change that by connecting car systems to the rest of our lives.
Packages could be delivered by robodogs riding in robotaxis, Continental hopes
As we all order more and more stuff from Amazon and other online retailers, delivery of goods becomes a more pressing concern. A solution is being proposed by Continental at this year's CES 2019, where the company will be exhibiting its system of driverless vehicles and delivery robots.
C-V2X system helps cars navigate intersections, even without a line of sight
A new C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) will be shown off by Audi, Ford, and Ducati at CES 2019. V2X is a form of short-range communication that can be sent and received by both cars and infrastructure. It allows cars to navigate around each other and the environment, even without a line of sight.
IoT litter box automatically refills cat litter and monitors your pet’s health
Cat lovers will find something for them at CES 2019, as pet company PurrSong debuts a new smart cat litter box. The box, dubbed the LavvieBot, will automatically clean itself and refill litter, plus monitor your cat's health by keeping track of its litter box use and weight changes.
Exciton transistors could create the energy-efficient electronics of the future
Last year, researchers developed a new type of transistor based on excitons, a special type of quasiparticle, which could be used in the future to make electronic devices smaller, faster, and more efficient. Now the same team has made another breakthrough by discovering new properties of excitons.
Dark matter heats up and moves around in dwarf galaxies during star formation
The exact nature of dark matter is one of the enduring questions of physics, as it is difficult to identify and has many mysterious manifestations. Now a team from the University of Surrey, UK, have discovered that dark matter can be heated up and moved around due to star formation within galaxies.
Windows 10 to allow users to pause updates for up to seven days
Windows 10 updates have been a source of consternation, with updates inadvertently deleting files and users being unknowingly opted into beta software testing. But now there is some good news on the horizon for frustrated Windows 10 users, as updates will no longer happen automatically and can be paused.
Nearby dwarf galaxy will collide with Milky Way, awaken black hole at its heart
In two billion years' time our galaxy will collide with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the brightest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way which currently sits around 163,000 light-years from us, waking the dormant black hole at the heart of our galaxy and causing it to devour nearby gases and grow.
Artificial soil made from lava rock allows growing of food in space
New research has succeeded in growing plants in high-tech planters which use artificial soil made from lava rock. The planters regulate the water, nutrients, gas, and air that plants require and record the ways that plants adapt to conditions similar to those in space such as low levels of nitrogen.
NASA probe visits Ultima Thule, the farthest object humanity has ever reached
NASA's New Horizons probe is reached the farthest region of our solar system on New Year's Day 2019, when it buzzed a distant object known as Ultima Thule located in the Kuiper Belt. It is the most distant object ever explored by a spacecraft, located four billion miles from Earth.
Mini guidance satellites could be used to position telescopes in space
An issue with modern segmented telescopes is keeping each section of the mirror stable. Now, an MIT team has suggested using a miniature satellite the size of a shoebox with a simple laser which could provide a steady, bright light for the telescope to use as a reference point when moving through space.
TomTom debuts end-to-end autonomous driving system at CES 2019
GPS company TomTom is moving into the realm of autonomous vehicles in a partnership with Japanese automotive components manufacturer Denso. The collaboration will produce an autonomous driving system which is capable of both perceiving objects in the environment and planning a path from one location to another.
2018’s most funded Kickstarter project is an Arthurian-themed board game
The biggest Kickstarter project of this year is surprisingly old school: a board game themed around a dark version of Arthurian legend. The Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Kickstarter raised a massive $6.2 million from over 40,000 backers, and the final game should be delivered in August 2019.
Mars’ disappearing methane proves a puzzle for scientists
A strange mystery is going down on Mars, as scientists detected traces of methane in the atmosphere of Mars years ago. But now the team collecting data from a satellite currently in orbit around Mars has reported that the orbiter has not found any evidence of methane on Mars.
NYC police to use camera drones for security at Times Square NYE party
For the first time, New York City police will use drones to keep an eye on Times Square for the NYE party, which is expected to attract as many as two million attendees. The drones will be used in addition to traditional anti-terrorism tools like police airplanes and helicopters.
EU to offer bug bounties for finding security flaws in open-source software
The EU will be launching a bug bounty program as part of their Free and Open Source Software Audit project, focused on security issues with open-source software. Bug bounties are a way for companies to check the security of their software by offering cash to freelancers who hunt for security exploits.
Ancient ‘fossil cloud’ could shed light on formation of the early universe
A fossilized cloud of gas that may be left over from the Big Bang has been discovered by researchers using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory. The distant cloud is one of only three known fossil clouds in the universe, and could provide valuable information about the formation of the earliest galaxies.
Researchers find a way to ‘see’ dark matter
Two astronomers have come up with a method to "see" dark matter by looking at the distribution of starlight in galaxy clusters. They used data from the Hubble telescope to look at a faint source of light called intracluster light, which is believed to be distributed in the same locations as dark matter.
Samsung’s Remote Access feature will connect its smart TVs to PCs, phones, more
Samsung announced that it will be introducing a brand new feature for smart TVs in 2019: Remote Access. The feature will use wireless connectivity to allow smart TVs to connect to PCs, tablets, and smartphones and will allow users to remotely control programs or apps from their Samsung TV.
Steam’s top-selling games for 2018 include ‘Rocket League,’ ‘Civilization VI’
As one of the biggest platforms for selling PC games, the Steam Store is the de facto shopping location of choice for most non-console gamers. Now Steam has released information on the best selling games of the year, sharing a list of the top 100 Steam games as measured by gross revenue.
Mars Express captures image of an icy crater on the surface of Mars
The European Space Agency's Mars Express mission has captured new images of a huge crater on the surface of Mars, measuring over 50 miles across and located in the northern lowlands. Although it might look like the crater is full of snow, it is actually full of water ice.
InSight lander successfully places its seismometer onto the surface of Mars
Another update from the surface of Mars, as NASA's InSight lander has successfully deployed its first instrument onto the planet's surface. This week the lander placed its copper-colored seismometer onto the ground in front of it from where it can gather data about vibrations deep within the planet.
Discord secures $150 million in funding, valued at over $2 billion
Discord is hugely popular chat app for gamers, but the company is seeking to move into selling games as well. Now Discord has announced that it has secured $150 million in funding, with a valuation of $2.05 billion, to expand its Discord Store which is hoping to compete with the massive Steam Store.