What would it take to build a Matrix-level simulation of reality?
What would it take, technologically speaking, to build a real version of the Matrix? Now that we're rapidly approaching the point at which such a thing will be possible, MIT computer scientist Rizwan Virk explores what we'd need to do to build a Matrix-level simulation
SpaceX joins internet-from-space race with launch of 60 Starlink satellites
SpaceX has launched a rocket carrying its first batch of Starlink satellites for its ambitious internet-from-space project. The payload successfully deployed an hour after liftoff. The $10 billion project aims to deploy 12,000 satellites in the coming years to create a global, low-cost broadband network.
Digital Trends Live: Amazon wearable recognizes emotion, Boring goes to Vegas
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss the trending tech stories of the day, including Amazon’s new wearable device that recognizes emotions, the Boring Company goes to Las Vegas, Baltimore still dealing with ransomware attack, Samsung’s deepfakes, Airbus’s flying taxi, and more.
Watch live as SpaceX tries, for the third time, to launch 60 Starlink satellites
Elon Musk's SpaceX is having another go at launching the first 60 satellites for its ultra-ambitious Starlink internet constellation. Provided that all goes according to plan, that is! Here's how you can tune in live to watch the Falcon 9 launch as it goes down later today.
Whose name should we etch on the Mars 2020 rover? NASA wants a vote
Dream of making it to Mars? NASA opened up a new public outreach program to let individuals send their names to the Red Planet, as an engraving on a silicon chip launched with the space agency’s next rover, due to touch down on Mars in February 2021. Here's what you need to know.
Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa 2 aborts marker drop mission
Japan's Hayabusa 2 spacecraft's latest mission to drop a reflective marker on the surface of asteroid Ryugu has been aborted. A second touchdown on the asteroid is being considered as a way to collect more materials, as a bonus to those materials already collected from the first go-round.
Future smart clothes promise to keep you the perfect temperature at all times
Regulating your body temperature can be tough. Engineers from UC San Diego have developed heating and cooling wearable smart tech which could be embedded into future clothing, thereby keeping you the perfect temperature and saving on overuse of air conditioning and heating.
I mainlined a bag of liquid vitamins — for science
Nutrient IV therapy is a hot new trend. It involves pumping vitamins, minerals, and fluids directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract for what is meant to be a rush of wellness to the veins. But is there science to support it? DT Investigates
Airbus shows off the futuristic interior of its autonomous flying taxi
Airbus has been working for several years on its Vahana electric-powered flying taxi, and it’s just given us the first look at its futuristic interior. The absence of controls in the single-seat aircraft is down to its autonomous capabilities, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Las Vegas officials bet big on Elon Musk’s Boring Company
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been awarded a $48.6 million contract by Las Vegas to build a high-speed transportation system beneath the city’s enormous convention center, and it could be ready by early 2020. The mile-long system may not be as big as the city-wide tunnel network Musk has talked of, but it’s a start!
Digital Trends Live: Huawei updates, Starlink launch, and Pac-Man’s birthday
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we cover the day’s trending tech topics, including the latest on the ongoing Huawei saga, Amazon’s social games for workers, Ford’s partnership with Agility Robotics, the launch of Space X’s Starlink satellites, Pac-Man's latest milestone, and more.
Scientists use an X-ray laser to create the loudest possible underwater sound
Researchers may have produced the loudest sound possible to make under water. The 270 decibel sound, created by blasting tiny jets of water with an X-ray laser, had a greater intensity than that of a rocket launch. Here's how they managed to create it — and why they did it.
Ford’s bipedal delivery robot can walk straight up to your doorstep
Autonomous wheeled delivery robots are seemingly everywhere in 2019. Oregon-based startup Agility Robotics has a different idea, however. Its cutting edge Digit robot carries out deliveries while walking on two legs. Here's why Agility thinks that's a necessary innovation.
This guy managed to squeeze an entire game console into a Game Boy cartridge
If you ever need a reminder of how far miniaturization has come, check out YouTuber 3DSage's latest achievement. The 31-year-old whiz kid has found a way to compress an entire Game Boy-style games console inside a single original Game Boy cartridge. Check it out in action.
Has purpose become a punchline? Among startups, the debate rages
Tech companies pledging to do good as they make money hand over fist has become a Silicon Valley punchline, but beneath the jeering, a debate is playing out among startup founders and the investors who fund them. The topic came up at Collision 2019 in Toronto, the startup conference where luminaries come to talk tech.
The rise and reign of Starship, the world’s first robotic delivery provider
Excited about the impending delivery robot revolution? If so, you need to know about Starship Technologies, the company which kickstarted the whole thing. Founded by two of the original creators of Skype, Starship is poised to change the world of deliveries. Here's what you need to know.
Elon Musk thinks Starlink satellite internet could be online before 2021
Elon Musk's Starlink project may be predicted to take until November 2027 to be fully operational. However, it won’t take nearly so long for us to start reaping the benefits of SpaceX's space internet initiative. Some level of service could be offered as soon as next year.
Digital Trends Live: Google’s new Glass, Impossible Sausage, and more
On Tuesday's episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss today’s trending tech stories, including Google’s new version of Glass, the Impossible Sausage at Little Caesar’s, the self-driving trucks coming to the United States Post Office, Standford welcoming its new robot dog, and more.
First, it was San Francisco. Now, the U.K. is fighting facial recognition
The U.K.'s first legal battle over police use of facial recognition technology has kicked off. The case involves a citizen who is taking action against South Wales Police, alleging that live facial-recognition technology was used against him in a breach of his own personal privacy.
Impossible’s new plant-based sausage is here, but only at Little Caesar’s
Plant-based food startup Impossible Foods is launching its first new meat-free product since its upgraded Impossible Burger. Get ready for…. The Impossible Sausage. Coming immediately to a Little Caesars pizza topping near you. Well, provided you live in select locations!
Meatballs and pastries offered by Wing’s first European drone delivery service
Having recently launched a limited service in Canberra, Australia, Alphabet's Wing is getting ready to begin testing its drone delivery technology in Helsinki, Finland. Customers will be able to order a variety of food and drinks, with delivery promised within about 10 minutes.
Lilium Jet takes flight in first test for all-electric, five-seater aircraft
German startup Lilium is moving closer to its goal of launching an on-demand air taxi service by 2025 with the successful maiden flight of the Lilium Jet. The all-electric, five-seater aircraft, powered by 36 engines fitted under its wings, looks to travel up to 300 kilometers in just 60 minutes.
How Super Mario, Magic: The Gathering, and PowerPoint are low-key supercomputers
What if the creators of Super Mario World, PowerPoint and even the card game Magic: The Gathering had accidentally created tools hiding a general-purpose computer in plain sight? Welcome to the weird world of the accidentally Turing complete. Here's what it all means, and why it matters.
Friendly cube robot Bumble passes its first hardware test aboard the ISS
There are some unexpected guests aboard the International Space Station (ISS): cute cube robots called Astrobees which help the crew with day to day tasks. Now the first Astrobee robot has undergone hardware tests to check whether its subsystems are working correctly.
The moon is shrinking as it loses heat, new images reveal
New research suggests that the Moon is shrinking. NASA scientists have used data from their Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) to look at "wrinkles" in the surface of the Moon which are as long as 200 miles and as high as 1000 feet and are formed as it loses heat and shrinks in size.
Two galaxies play tug of war in this spectacular Hubble image
Hubble has captured evidence of a nearby galactic neighbor affecting the the shape and star production of a galaxy. The irregular galaxy NGC 4485 has been pulled into the unusual shape due to the gravitational forces exerted by the nearby and much larger galaxy NGC 4490.
See a fly-over of Mars and track the path Curiosity will take up Mount Sharp
Take a trip to Mars with a new video from NASA. This animation shows a fly-over of Mount Sharp, the location the Curiosity rover is currently exploring. It also shows the path Curiosity will take as it travels up the mountain to learn more about the geology and history of the planet.
See the impact site where the Beresheet spacecraft crashed into the moon
SpaceIL's Beresheet spacecraft might not have made the final hurdle to land on the moon, but it could still make a contribution to scientific knowledge. An image of the site of the crash has been captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and is being analyzed for information about the lunar soil.
Chang’e 4 mission may have found minerals from beneath the surface of the moon
China's Chang'e 4 mission has made a major discovery: pieces of rock that could be from beneath the surface of the moon. According to the lander's spectrometer, it spotted two unexpected mineral types, low-calcium pyroxene and olivine, which match what is believed to exist in the mantle.
Watch this drone dodge an incoming soccer ball autonomously
Most drones aren't very good at avoiding incoming objects. Even the most advanced drones struggle to react to dynamic objects and adjust their trajectories accordingly. But now a team from the University of Zurich has developed a drone which can dodge, swoop, and dive to avoid an incoming object.
Purdue’s robotic hummingbird is nearly as nimble as the real thing
A team of engineers in Purdue University’s Bio-Robotics Lab have developed an impressively agile flying robot, modeled after the hummingbird. Here's how it works, and why its creators think that it could prove to be a useful addition to future search and rescue missions.
Digital Trends Live: Microsoft and Sony team up for cloud gaming, 5G test, more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss the top tech topics of the day, including a Microsoft and Sony cloud gaming collaboration, a test of the Galazy S10 on 5G, a possible leak of the foldable Motorola Razr, and new A.I. that allows you to get punched in the face by a robot.
USC’s penny-sized robotic bee is the most sci-fi thing you’ll see all week
Engineers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles have built a bee-inspired robot that weighs just 95 milligrams and is smaller than a one-cent coin. It can fly, swim -- and its creator thinks it may very well one day be useful for exploring Mars and other planets, too.
UV-activated superglue could literally help to heal broken hearts
Scientists at Zhejiang University in China have developed a potentially life-saving ultraviolet-activated adhesive glue that is capable of efficiently healing damage to organs, including the heart. Here's how its inventors have demonstrated its amazing abilities so far.