Caltech’s tiny new gyroscope is smaller than a single grain of rice
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have found a way to significantly shrink optical gyroscopes 500 times smaller than the current state-of-the-art models. The results are smaller than a single grain of rice, and could be used in everything from gaming to satellites.
Autonomous package-delivery robots are ready to steal your mailman’s job
Starship Technologies is launching a robot package-delivery service in the U.S. and U.K. For a monthly subscription fee, customers will be able to get packages delivered at a time and place of their convenience. You can even use a mobile app to check up on your delivery!
10 years of Bitcoin: How a geeky cryptocurrency changed the world
From its birth 10 years ago, Bitcoin has grown from fledgling cryptocurrency proof-of-concept into a real world cash alternative that's taken seriously by everyone from technologists to governments. How did it get to that point? Check out our handy potted history to find out.
If we want to slow down climate change, we should change how we mine Bitcoin
Bitcoin mining isn't good for climate change. According to a new study coming out of the University of Hawaii Manoa, provided that Bitcoin continues its current trajectory it could produce enough emissions to raise global temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius as soon as 2033.
Like Google for CCTV, software could help cops scour surveillance video quickly
Surveillance footage is great, but finding the person you're looking for isn't so easy if you have to comb through hundreds of hours of video. To help, researchers from India have developed a search engine that lets people hunt for individuals in CCTV footage using written descriptions.
Smell like Skynet: IBM creates an A.I. that will design the perfect perfume
IBM's research division has teamed up with master fragrance maker Symrise to create an artificial intelligence that's capable of developing new perfumes, courtesy of IBM’s impressive machine learning technology. Here's how it works, and what makes it so potentially versatile.
In Norway, a robot will soon be delivering people’s mail
Think traditional mail is outdated? Think again. In Norway, residents will soon have their letters and packages delivered to them by a robot -- thanks to a deal between Posten-Norge, the Norwegian postal service, and automation company Buddy Mobility. Here's what they can expect.
The Fidget Cube creators return with ‘Minecraft’-style building blocks
Two years ago, Antsy Labs’ Fidget Cube hit Kickstarter, ultimately raking in a massive $6.4 million from 154,926 backers. Now its creators are back with their crowdfunding follow-up: A set of magnetic building blocks which look a bit like a mashup of Lego bricks and Minecraft.
Text-based lie detector can help cops filter out fake robbery reports
Researchers from the U.K.’s Cardiff University and Spain’s Charles III University of Madrid have developed a software tool which can reportedly help law enforcement accurately identify false statements about robberies, based on the statements given to police. Here's how it works.
This cafe lets students trade their data for a ‘free’ cup of coffee
Can't afford to pay for your morning coffee? Shiru Cafe will offer you a cup of joe in exchange for some crucial details about yourself. This can then be used to help set you up with companies that might be interested in you. The chain opened its first U.S. location earlier this year.
Meet the company resurrecting dead celebrities and digitally cloning living ones
From Star Wars to the MCU, the trend for de-aging or even digitally resurrecting old actors is becoming a major part of Hollywood. Digital Domain is one visual effects company leading the charge. Here's how they create their digital actors -- and what it means for the future of movies.
It’s no longer illegal to ‘hack’ your electronics to repair them
The Librarian of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office just proposed the introduction of new laws which will give both customers and independent repair shops the ability to carry out legal hacks on the software on devices in order to carry out repairs or maintenance. That's a big win!
SpaceX is gearing up to launch a used Falcon 9 rocket booster for a third time
Reusing rockets is one of the ways SpaceX wants to make space travel simpler and more affordable. With that goal in mind, it's preparing to fly one of its first stage Falcon 9 rocket boosters for a third time. Until now, it hasn't ever flown a single first stage more than twice.
Should A.I cars put passengers before pedestrians? Here’s what millions said
Questions like whether a self-driving car should prioritize the life of its driver over pedestrians are, to put it mildly, complex ethical dilemmas. Researchers recently published the findings to a massive survey of 2.3 million people giving their thoughts on these conundrums.
Uh-oh. Somebody taught drones how to team up so they can open doors
These diminutive Flycrotug microdrones can open doors or move objects 40 times their weight -- and all they need are a pair of adhesive, insect-inspired feet, and an onboard lasso. They could one day be used as a valuable tool for search and rescue missions. Here's how they work.
Singapore plans to open its skies to drone taxi test flights in 2019
Think that autonomous flying taxis are decades away? Think again! Volocopter, a German company specializing in electric multirotor helicopters, is gearing up to run inner-city tests of its self-driving air taxis in Singapore. They will take place in the second half of 2019.
A.I. can do almost anything now, but here are 6 things machines still suck at
Predicting what A.I. and computers aren’t capable of can be a fool’s errand. But as artificial intelligence becomes more and more dominant in our lives, it's clear that not there are still big blind spots when it comes to the tasks machines can perform. Here are six examples.
Powered brace proves restoring arm functionality is no longer out of reach
The MyoPro myoelectric arm orthosis promises to help restore functionality in the arms and hands of individuals with neuromuscular disease or injury. That includes those affected by conditions such as strokes, brachial plexus injury, or cerebral palsy. Here's how it works.
Struggling to start a good habit? Simone Giertz’s Every Day Calendar can help
Simone Giertz is best known as the maker of crappy robots on YouTube, but her first Kickstarter campaign is no failure. In fact, her LED-studded Every Day calendar has already racked up more than $250,000 of pledges on the crowdfunding platform. And there's still time to get involved!
An app uses your smartphone camera to tell if you’re alert at work
Do you lose concentration while at work? Researchers from Cornell University have developed a smart app which uses a smartphone camera to keep tabs on users' alertness -- by measuring the size of their pupils each time they unlock their phone. Here's why that's so useful.
What’s it like to die? This VR experience puts doctors in a dying man’s shoes
A new virtual reality experience by LA-based studio Embodied Labs depicts the end-of-life experience for a 66-year-old cancer patient. It is already being used as a teaching tool in hospices and medical schools. But can VR really make us more empathetic? A recent study says yes.
Want to be the king of the world? Titanic II will set sail in 2022 — for real
Do you ever wish you could have sailed on the RMS Titanic? No? Well, you could get your chance anyway, since an ambitious project is recreating the original ship -- only with the benefit of modern technology and a few more lifeboats. The Titanic II promises to set sail in 2022.
Meet the $1.5m Xprize winner that makes artificial clouds in shipping containers
Could the solution to a lack of clean drinking water in parts of the world be an artificial cloud inside a shipping container? It might sound crazy, but it’s the revolutionary concept which just won the $1.5 million Water Abundance XPrize. Here's how the technology works.
Silo A.I. vacuum storage system tells you when your leftovers are going bad
"Alexa, is the chicken still OK to eat?" Newly launched on Kickstarter, Silo is a neat vacuum storage container that promises to greatly extend the life of your food by up to five times. And for good measure, Alexa integration adds some impressive (and useful) A.I. smarts.
These solar-powered water purifiers can produce 30,000 gallons of water per day
Every day, somewhere in the world experiences issues with contaminated water, and has to turn to either bottled water as a solution. The company Quench Water & Solar is offering a mobile solar-powered water purifier to anyone who wants to take the matter in their own hands.
There’s finally a way to trace ‘untraceable’ 3D printed guns
3D printers could be used to manufacture firearms without any traceable serial number. To help track these weapons, researchers have developed a new algorithm which is able to identify which 3D printer was used to print an object, based on its unique fingerprint. Here's how.
This 3D-printed house made of earth and rice husks costs less than an iPhone
Looking for a new, affordable house? Italian 3D-printing company WASP has just 3D printed a hut structure using a combination of 3D-printed concrete, rice husks, and a mud-based material. And, of course, its giant, crane-based 3D printer. Total cost of the build? Around $1,000.
A Fitbit for your cat shit: Automatic litter box tracks your kitty’s health
It may look like a sci-fi teleportation chamber, but Footloose is a high-tech potty that promises to be the most cutting-edge way imaginable for your kitty to take a dump. Who knows? With its smart A.I. technology, it might even save your beloved cat's life one day.
For only $4,950, you can get jetpack lessons from the world’s only instructor
Have you ever dreamed of flying using a jetpack? Well, JetPack Aviation founder -- and the world's only qualified jetpack instructor -- David Mayman is now offering a day of jetpack flight. Here's how much it will cost you, and what you'll learn during your time together.
You’re so vein: Palm-based biometric system could help confirm your identity
Move over, Face ID! The next biometric security systems could rely on analyzing the specific vein patterns in your palm print. As it turns out, these vascular maps are just as unique as the other biometric markers that drive technologies like fingerprint or retina scanners.
Scientists created a condom that self-lubricates during sex. You’re welcome
Researchers from Boston University have invented a special coating for condoms which make them respond to bodily fluids by becoming more slippery. And it's all thanks to a brief from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Here's how their impressive new breakthrough works.
How Vantablack, the darkest material ever, can take gaming to a new level
Vantablack is the world's darkest material, capable of absorbing virtually all of the light that touches it. What's it like to be in a room fully painted in the cutting edge nanomaterial? The makers of one of the year's top video games teamed up with Vantablack's creators to find out.