Impending collision of Milky Way with other galaxy is already creating new stars
In around 2 billion years' time, our galaxy will collide with a nearby satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, in a catastrophic and highly destructive event. For now, though, the interaction of the two galaxies isn't destructive -- new research shows it is actually creating new stars.
Mars’ water is evaporating away even faster than we expected
Billions of years ago, Mars could have been like Earth with water on its surface. But over time, that water rose into Mars's thin atmosphere and evaporated into space. There are only small amounts of water vapor left in the atmosphere today, and a new study shows vapor is lost even faster than previously believed.
LIGO observatory sees its 2nd-ever neutron star collision — and it was massive
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), famous for the first detection of gravitational waves, has made another exciting observation. It spotted a pair of neutron stars smashing into each other. Even by the standards of neutron stars, the two bodies which collided were massive.
Teenage NASA intern discovers single exoplanet orbiting two stars
A high school junior has made an unusual discovery, locating a distant planet that orbits around two stars. He located the planet while working on a summer internship at NASA last year, where he looked at data from the TESS planet-hunting satellite as part of the Planet Hunters TESS citizen science project.
Astronomers search tiny galaxies to understand the evolution of black holes
We know that at the heart of galaxies lie enormous supermassive black holes, although exactly how these formed when the universe was young is a question scientists are still investigating. Now, astronomers have new clues to this conundrum with the discovery of 13 massive black holes in dwarf galaxies relatively nearby to Earth.
This instrument weighs exoplanets by observing their gravitational effects
Researchers have shown the first results from a new instrument for calculating the weight of distant exoplanets. The NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet Investigations with Doppler spectroscopy, or NEID, is an instrument mounted on the WIYN telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory and is funded by NASA and the NSF.
See the giant galaxy named after pioneering dark matter researcher Vera Rubin
Hubble has imaged a gentle giant -- galaxy UGC 2885, which is 2.5 times wider than the Milky Way and has 10 times as many stars as our home galaxy. Despite its massive size, the galaxy is docile, with a modest rate of new stars being born and only a small amount of hydrogen absorbed by its supermassive black hole.
NASA’s flying observatory peeks inside the iconic Swan Nebula
The Omega or Swan Nebula has been a target of astronomical research for 250 years, but astronomers have never been able to get a clear view of the inside of the structure until now, thanks to SOFIA -- NASA's flying observatory, a collection of equipment aboard a modified Boeing 747SP jetliner aircraft.
NASA planet-hunter telescope locates first Earth-sized planet in habitable zone
NASA's planet-hunting telescope TESS has made an exciting discovery -- a planet the size of Earth which could potentially host liquid water. The planet TOI 700 d is located just on the inner edge of its system's habitable zone, with the other system planets TOI 700b and TOI 700c located closer to the star.
Personalized beauty tech will shake the very foundation of the skincare industry
At CES 2020, traditional makeup and beauty brands were right at home on the show floor. Long-established beauty brands now have to be able to customize products for every individual's skin, which requires high-tech tools, easy-to-use apps, and a treasure trove of data, all on display at CES.
Wireless power over distance creeps closer to your home at CES 2020
The idea of wireless power over distance is attractive, and if CES 2020 is anything to go by, it's going to be available in real products this year. We spoke to Ossia, Wi-Charge, Powercast, and GuRu about their different approaches, what challenges remain, and to find out when we will see it in stores.
Digital Trends Live: Day 4 from the Consumer Electronics Show
It’s day four of the Consumer Electronics Show, which means another special episode of Digital Trends Live. On today’s show, hosts Greg Nibler and Maude Garrett bring you a full day of coverage, highlights, and trending tech stories, including DT's Top Tech of CES winners.
GuRu’s robot could charge up your devices wirelessly over a distance
The group of companies determined to bring wireless charging based on delivering power over distance is growing. The fourth player we've seen in this space at CES 2020, GuRu had some of the smartest solutions to some of the problems that power over distance must overcome if it's to be successful.
This ingenious invention highlights mosquitoes so you can murder them faster
Few things are more frustrating than lying in a dark room, drifting off to sleep, when you’re jolted awake by the high-pitched whine of a mosquito, floating through the blackness with a taste for your blood. The Bzigo smart mosquito laser tracking system could help you.
Want to shake hands with the future? Check out this brain-controlled prosthetic
Shaking hands with BrainCo's artificial intelligence-powered prosthetic hand is like shaking hands with an exciting, optimistic version of the future. Here's what this amazing prosthesis is able to do, and how it promises to transform life for amputees all around the world.
I met Samsung’s artificial humans, and they showed me the future of A.I.
Neon burst onto the scene at CES 2020 in a flurry of hype, but not much understanding of what the company wants to eventually achieve. It's a complex vision of the future, where we live alongside digital humans that look like us, move like us, and can think, learn, and remember.
The PowerEgg X is a 4K handheld camera that’s also a waterproof drone
Three years in development, PowerVision's PowerEgg X debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday night. The drone does double duty as a smart handheld video camera and a drone, and includes artificial intelligence that helps the camera track objects better than most tracking drones we've seen.
Prinker’s awesome tattoo printer inks you instantly, but not forever
Fancy a tattoo but not the commitment? Check out the Prinker S, a temporary tattoo printer for your skin that works so fast, there's no time for regret. Even if you did question what you've done afterwards, all it takes is some soap and water to erase the tattoo, and you can try again. We tried the printer out at CES.
Elliptic Labs gesture controls and presence detection coming to your living room
With support for gesture controls and presence detection, Elliptic Labs technology is impressive. It has now been integrated into a Texas Instruments audio chip which brings it a step closer to being released in a device, like a smart speaker, that you might buy. We tried it out at CES 2020.
The coolest products Samsung showed off at CES: Ballie, Neon, and lots of TVs
Samsung was one of the biggest booths (more like an entire wing), and the company showed off some new and groundbreaking tech at CES this week. In case you missed all the cool things they announced, here is our roundup of all the Samsung tech that impressed us the most at CES.
Scientists want human trials for gene therapy that could help battle addiction
Could a form of gene therapy be useful in helping treat cocaine addiction, a form of addiction that proves highly resistant to alternative approaches, such as medical treatment and psychotherapy? That’s what researchers from the world-famous Mayo Clinic are hoping to prove.
Digital Trends Top Tech of CES 2020 Award Winners
Digital Trends combed CES 2020 for the best technology of the show. Our best of CES 2020 awards products that are not just cool and exciting, but have the potential to change entire categories and directly impact the lives of thousands. This is the Top Tech of CES 2020.
Digital Trends Live: Day 2 from the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show
It’s day 2 of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, which means another special edition of Digital Trends Live. Join hosts Greg Nibler and Maude Garrett as they bring you a full day of coverage, highlights, and other trending tech stories, including Samsung’s bezel-less 8K display, Facebook's deepfakes ban, and more.
Elon Musk says a UFO-on-a-stick will connect you to his internet satellites
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that anyone signing up to his Starlink broadband service will receive a contraption that looks like a thin, flat, round UFO on a stick to connect to the internet. A test service is expected to launch in the U.S. later this year, once enough of the Starlink satellites have been deployed.
Digital Trends Live: Day 3 from the Consumer Electronics Show 2020
It’s Day 3 of the Consumer Electronics Show, which means another special episode of Digital Trends Live. On today’s show, hosts Greg Nibler and Maude Garrett bring you more than eight hours of coverage, highlights, and trending tech stories live from the annual show in Las Vegas.
The weirdest tech we saw at CES 2020
CES isn't just about big TVs, flashy cars, and powerful laptops. Delve into the labyrinth of booths on the show floor in Vegas, and you'll find some truly wild inventions. From toilet-paper robots to the Keurig of olive oils, these are the weirdest things we saw at CES 2020.
The best health gadgets of CES 2020 combat dyslexia, sleep apnea, and more
Technology can be a powerful tool for change, and in the right hands it can boost human health, help us cope with pain, and find new ways to treat old ailments. We've gathered some of the best health gadgets we've seen so far at CES 2020 in this roundup that deal with such conditions as dyslexia and sleep apnea.
Test riding Manta5: The unholy offspring of a boat, an airplane, and an e-bike
I took a break from the madness of the CES 2020 showfloor to test ride the Hydrofoiler XE-1: a hydrofoil ebike from New Zealand upstart Manta5. It was exactly as fun as it sounds.
The best smart home tech of CES 2020: Lockly Vision, Lucy Vacuum, and more
From lighting to security devices to kitchen gadgets, CES 2020 had a ton of cool smart home tech. After looking at dozens of different products, the smart home team at Digital Trends voted on the best smart home tech at CES 2020. Here are our selections.
New oxygen detection method may help space telescope spot extraterrestrial life
Want to maximize your shot of finding extraterrestrial life out there in the universe? A good way to start is to look for the presence of life-aiding oxygen on exoplanets. This new technique, for use in the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, could help with that mission.
Amateur astronomy is easy with Celestron’s smartphone-compatible $189 telescope
Newbie astronomers can find the sky overwhelming and telescopes complicated. Celestron's StarSense telescopes are meant to be extremely user-friendly and harness the power of smartphone cameras to tell viewers what they're seeing in the night sky. Best of all, they start at just $189.
Samsung’s new food A.I. can suggest recipes based on what’s in your fridge
Imagine if, after a long day at work, your fridge could look to see what you’ve got in stock and then suggest a meal composed of those ingredients. That’s what Samsung has developed with a new personalized A.I. cooking experience feature for its fridges, shown off at CES.
Colorado cops call in FBI in hunt for mysterious drones
Cops in Colorado and Nebraska have set up a special task force that includes the FBI in a bid to track down the person or people behind mysterious drone flights apparently taking place there. Sightings by cops and members of the public describe a fleet of up to 17 large machines flying in formation at night.
SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink internet satellites amid astronomer concerns
SpaceX is making progress with its efforts to launch an internet service from space after launching its third batch of 60 Starlink satellites this week. SpaceX is planning to launch batches of 60 satellites every two to three weeks over the next 12 months in a bid to achieve global coverage later this year.