Digital Trends Live: Spotify vs. Apple, kamikaze drones, and more
On today’s Digital Trends Live, we discuss Spotify’s accusation that Apple monopolizes streaming music, Uber and Lyft drivers' strike, bounty hunters buying wireless location data, Volkswagen’s EV record attempt, QR codes during TV shows, kamikaze drones, a robotic farm sells produce, and more.
DroneBullet is a kamikaze drone missile that knocks enemy UAVs out of the sky
How do you get an enemy drone out of the sky as quickly as possible? According to anti-drone tech company AerialX, the answer involves a cross between a missile and a quadcopter. Meet DroneBullet. Here's how it works -- and why technology such as this is crucial in today's world.
Hubble captures an archetypal spiral galaxy in the constellation of Leo
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an ideal example of the archetypal spiral galaxy. The NGC 2903 galaxy is located in the constellation of Leo (The Lion) as is approximately 30 million light-years away. It is notable for its high rate of new star creation, particularly concentrated in the center.
First private Japanese rocket, MOMO-3, successfully launched this week
Troubled spaceflight company Interstellar Technologies had a success this week, when it was finally able to launch its MOMO-3 rocket into space. Two previous launches failed, but this week the launch went off successfully, marking the first successful private launch by a Japanese company.
Physicists may have detected first-ever collision of black hole and neutron star
Just weeks after it resumed operations, the National Science Foundation’s Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory may have detected the first ever observed merger between a black hole and a neutron star. These collisions warp spacetime, sending out gravitational waves which LIGO can detect.
Galactic mapping satellite Gaia spotted by ground-based Very Large Telescope
The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite was launched in 2013 to survey the stars in our galaxy to create a precise 3D map of the Milky Way. But now the observer has become the observee, as it the satellite is captured in this image from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
Supplier falsifying certifications was cause of two launch failures, NASA says
In 2009 and 2011, two NASA launches failed: the Orbiting Carbon Observatory and the satellite Glory. Both failures involved the use of a Taurus rocket. Now a NASA investigation has determined the failures were caused by faulty materials provided by the aluminum manufacturer Sapa Profiles, Inc.
See the sun rise and set on another planet in these InSight images
A pair of images taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC) aboard NASA's InSight lander has captured views of the sunrise and sunset on Mars. These images are part of a Martian tradition, in which different Mars landers take images of the cycles of day and night on the planet.
See 265,000 galaxies in the epic Hubble Legacy Field mosaic
A stunning image shows an incredible 265,000 galaxies, stretching back to the early universe at 500 million years after the Big Bang. It is a mosaic of different images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope as part of its deep-field surveys, arranged into a giant overview called the Hubble Legacy Field.
Breakthrough in bioprinting could enable 3D printing of replacement organs
A technique for bioprinting tissues allows scientists to create vascular networks like those used in the body to transport blood, air, and other fluids, in a step towards 3D-printing of organs. The scientists also released a video showing a lung-like air sac which can feed nutrients to nearby tissue.
SpaceX launch to resupply ISS finally goes off after several delays
After a number of delays, the SpaceX mission to resupply the International Space Station has successfully launched. Originally scheduled for April 30, the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket had to be put on hold due to several electrical problems. But this morning around 3 a.m. ET, the rocket finally launched.
Giveaway: If the force is with you, this badass lightsaber could be yours
There are so many Star Wars toys and gadgets out there, it would be impossible to play with them all, even for us. But that didn’t stop us from trying! In honor of May the Fourth, we’re digging into our favorite Star Wars merch, and to top it off, we’re giving away one seriously badass lightsaber.
Most cities can’t deal with escooters. Charlotte, N.C., wants to show them how
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina believes that e-scooters can have a positive impact on the world, so it's partnered with a shipping logistics company to figure out the best way for cities all over the globe to welcome micromobility startups onto their streets and sidewalks.
Future underwater robots could charge their batteries by eating fish poop
The U.S. Navy wants to find a way to create underwater robots that can stay submerged for longer. Their idea? Giving it special batteries that can be recharged by eating fish poop. Here's how it could work, and what a team of researchers have demonstrated so far with the project.
Digital Trends Live: Escooter safety, Swarm A.I., Spotify’s voice-enabled ads
On today’s Digital Trends Live, we look into dangers of using eScooters, Spotify tests voice-enabled advertising, Waymo promises that its autonomous vehicles will be able to see pedestrians and bicyclists, Swarm A.I., Microsoft’s Solitaire will be inducted into the video game hall of fame, and more.
A.I. is getting scary good at generating fake humans. Watch this demo
Researchers from Japan have shown off a new artificial intelligence system that is able to create photorealistic, high-res videos of people who don't actually exist outside of a computer. Here's how its Adversarial Generative Network technology works -- and what this advance means.
RFID-blocking products are practically worthless. Here’s why
From smart wallets to smart clothing, RFID-blocking products are big business, but are you really at risk from identity theft or fraud via RFID skimming? And if you are, do these products really keep you safe? We investigated RFID-related crime and spoke to an expert to find out.
SpaceX says its Crew Dragon capsule was destroyed in recent test mishap
SpaceX has confirmed that last month's test firing of thrusters on its Crew Dragon capsule resulted in an explosion that completely destroyed the spacecraft. The company said that no one was injured in the incident and that it's continuing to investigate what caused the failure.
Smart clothes could let you change your temperature with the touch of a button
A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, are developing a smart material which can regulate its temperature, potentially with the tap of a smartphone app. Here's how it works -- and what it could mean for the future of smart clothes as we know them.
Drone delivers lifesaving kidney for transplant patient in world first
A medical facility in Maryland has become the first to use a drone to deliver a kidney for transplant into a patient. The specially built drone is capable of maintaining and monitoring a viable human organ during flight. The transplant operation was deemed a success and the female patient left hospital this week.
How IBM’s cutting-edge A.I. put a losing soccer team on a winning streak
If you’ve seen the 2011 movie Moneyball, you’ll be familiar with the way that data crunching can be used to create a winning sport team against the odds. That's what IBM attempted recently when it turned the power of its Watson A.I. to improving the chances of a UK soccer team.
The best shipping container homes from around the world
Shipping containers are affordable, fireproof, and flood-proof, which is why they can make the perfect home when utilized properly. Here, we've rounded up some of the more spectacular examples, whether you're a fan of minimalism, over-the-top extravagance, or something in between.
Stanford researchers have taken us one step closer to a universal flu vaccine
Getting yearly flu jabs isn’t ideal, but it is necessary. That's because the flu virus continually mutates. Researchers from Stanford University may have just made a breakthrough in the journey to develop a universal flu vaccine. Here's how it works, and why it is so exciting.
New task force to take on rogue drone pilots flying near airports
A new task force has been set up to tackle the problem of drone incursions at U.S. airports, with the Federal Aviation Administration saying it now receives as many as 100 such reports a month. Up to now, rogue drone flights have forced a number of airports to suspend operations over safety fears.
U.K. opens its first checkout-free store, but it’s not Amazon Go
The U.K. has opened its first checkout-free store, but it's not operated by Amazon, the pioneer of the format. It was launched by Sainsbury's, a major supermarket chain. The system is different from Amazon Go, as it requires shoppers to scan items using a smartphone app while they shop.
Why Windows users will never let Microsoft kill their beloved MS Paint
Despite repeated threats to remove it, Microsoft this month confirmed that MS Paint will remain a part of Windows for now. Why are users still in love with a simple graphics editor that first shipped almost 35 years ago? Digital Trends set out to find a convincing answer.
Digital Trends Live: Impossible Burger rollout, Mother’s Day guide, and more
On the latest episode of DT, Live we discuss the day’s top tech topics, including the rollout of theImpossible Burger to Burger Kings nationwide, Marriott's plan to compete with Airbnb, Samsung’s TV for viewing vertical mobile content, our Digital Trends Mother’s Day guide, and more.
Who needs a toothbrush when you have a swarm of tooth-cleaning nanobots?
Imagine being able to clean your teeth with an army of tiny nanorobots. It might sound crazy, but that's exactly what researchers from the University of Pennsylvania are working to develop. And they're much further along than you might think. Check out their work in action.
The massive Airlander 10 flying machine could go all-electric
The British company behind the massive Airlander 10 aircraft has announced plans to build a new version that replaces its diesel-burning engines with electric-powered alternatives. The flying machine could one day be used for anything from pleasure trips and passenger travel to cargo transportation and aid delivery.
Anki, the startup that made little A.I. robots, is closing down
Anki, a San Francisco-based startup that brought us home robots such as Vector and Cozmo, is reportedly closing down after failing to find further funding to keep the business running. Anki was founded by roboticists from Carnegie Mellon University with a mission to bring objects to life through robotics and A.I.
Amazon is using smart technology to track warehouse worker productivity
Think that Amazon's warehouse robots are the only use of technology in the company's fulfillment centers? New documents reveal how human workers are also quantified in terms of their personal productivity. Here's how it works -- and what some of the implications might be.
NASA and partners will simulate a potentially deadly asteroid strike this week
Think that it is only Hollywood filmmakers who speculate about what would happen if Earth was ever struck by an errant asteroid? Think again! This week, the world's sharpest minds are meeting to help figure out how Earth would prepare for a hypothetical killer asteroid strike.
DJI tries to debunk rumors that Phantom drones are discontinued
DJI denied reports that it is ending its Phantom line of drones, blaming the unavailability of the Phantom 4 on a parts shortage and claiming that images of a Phantom 5 prototype was a one-off design for a customer. The future of the company's drone business, meanwhile, remains unclear.
Supermassive black hole resides inside a supermassive galaxy
The eyes of the world turned to Messier 87 earlier this month when scientists released the first ever image of a black hole. Now a new image created from data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows more about the giant galaxy in which the now-famous black hole resides.