See the National Forests like never before in these awe-inspiring drone videos
With no ban on drones in National Forests, filmmakers have a way to capture the immensity of these locations with stunning results. This isn't just about having some pretty pictures to look at; it's how the Forest Service plans to reach a new generation of forest-goer and bring awareness to public lands.
In a weighty decision, scientists prepare to redefine the kilogram
Metrologists are meeting at the General Conference on Weights and Measures in Versailles to vote on whether to redefine the kilogram as a constant that can be observed in the natural world. Rather than defined by a block of metal, weights will be expressed in terms of the Planck constant (h).
SpaceX makes rocketry look easy, sticks yet another Falcon 9 landing
SpaceX is due to perform its latest Falcon 9 rocket launch and landing ton November 15. The rocket will be used to launch Qatar’s Es'hail-2 communications satellite, which will provide communications for the Middle East and parts of North Africa. Here's how you can watch.
Glass orb packs all the constellations in the night sky into fancy desk ornament
Have you ever wanted to know more about the star constellations we can see from Earth? A stunning new Kickstarter campaign, taking the form of a fancy desk ornament that re-creates the night's sky in a glass orb, aims to help. Here's how you can get your hands on one as soon as possible.
China says it has developed a quantum radar that can see stealth aircraft
Chinese defense giant China Electronics Technology Group Corporation claims that it has developed a quantum radar that’s able to detect even the stealthiest of stealth aircraft. The company says it has been working on the technology for years, and that it first tested it in 2015.
Frogs regrow ‘paddle-like’ limbs when placed in a bioreactor
Frogs have partially regrown amputated limbs thanks to a bioreactor developed by a team of researchers at Tufts University. By jump-starting tissue repair, the bioreactor was shown to help the amphibians regenerate a bigger, more complete appendage than they usually do in the wild.
Intel’s new ‘neural network on a stick’ aims to unchain A.I. from the internet
To kick off its first developer conference in Beijing, Intel unveiled the second generation of its Neural Compute Stick -- a device that promises to democratize the development of computer vision A.I. applications that can work at the edge of a network.
Believe it or not, this fire-proof exoskeleton isn’t designed for space marines
A company called Levitate Technologies has developed a mechanical upper body exoskeleton that’s capable of lowering exertion levels by up to 80 percent when you carry out physically taxing work. Oh, and did we happen to mention that it is totally fire-resistant as well?
This alarm clock uses targeted light and sound to wake you, but not your partner
The Wake v2 isn't like your typical bedside alarm. It specializes in consideration for others. It does this by waking you by shining a soft light directly into your face, thereby not disturbing the person sharing a bed with you. Pretty smart, huh?
These Alexa-stuffed retro phones don’t listen until you take them off the hook
Looking for an Amazon Echo with a cool vintage touch? Los Angeles-based Grain Design is taking old, non-working antique phones and transforming them into Alexa smart speakers. Here's what makes them special, and how you can get your hands on one before the holiday season.
This fully autonomous $400 drone folds like a book, follows you like a paparrazzo
Until recently, having a drone that could follow you everywhere, while taking high-quality photos and videos without crashing into trees or other obstacles, was a flight of fantasy. Now, with ZeroZero's Hover 2, not only can you have a fully autonomous selfie drone, you can have it for $400.
Car parts maker ZF is using drones to deliver components to its factories
ZF is a car parts manufacturer, but it's trying to keep the roads clear with its latest initiative. The company recently became the first in Germany to receive approval to use drones to deliver spare parts its central warehouses to its workshops. The six-motor drones can carry up to 6.5 pounds of goods.
New simulation shows how Elon Musk’s internet satellite network might work
Starlink is Elon Musk’s ambitious dream of building a network for conveying internet traffic via thousands of satellites Musk hopes to have in orbit by the mid-2020s. A new simulation created by a computer scientist looks at how feasible the idea is. Here's what he concluded.
Bottle-flipping robots may be the most millennial thing we’ve ever seen
Until drones start vaping, you're unlikely to see anything more high-tech millennial than a recent contest in Japan in which robots built by high-schoolers competed to pull off some seriously impressive bottle-flipping feats. Check it out in all its jaw-dropping robot goodness.
Sticking these tiny needles in your eye may help fight blindness
An eye patch covered in tiny needles sounds like a torture device. In fact, it's a new medical treatment created by researchers in Singapore. They hope that it could prove to be a better way of treating eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration. Here's how it works.
Michigan’s former transportation chief has some advice for wannabe smart cities
Kirk Steudle, the former director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, knows a thing or two about building smart cities. Speaking with Digital Trends before his retirement, Steudle shares with us what cities need to do if they want to get smarter.
Shipping crate filled with 3D-printing robots may be the future of construction
Autodesk has created a robot-filled shipping container which may very well represent the future of construction work. Being shown off at this week's Autodesk University Las Vegas event, the crate contains two robots which can be used to 3D print custom components for building.
Watch this lab-grown heart tissue beat just like the real thing
Researchers have used stem cells to create a lab-grown human heart tissue which actually beats. Created by scientists in Germany, the heart tissue also responds to drugs in the same way as the real thing, suggesting that it could be used to help invent new medical treatments.
Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sale smashes online shopping records
The annual online shopping frenzy that is Singles' Day this year generated record sales of $30.8 billion, up from $25 billion last year. The Alibaba-organized event started in China in 2009 but the addition of English-language sites now takes the event to an even bigger audience.
Rocket Lab steps into spotlight with its first commercial rocket launch
California-based Rocket Lab has successfully deployed multiple small satellites into orbit in its first notable commercial rocket launch. Its New Zealand-born boss said that with its Electron launch vehicle, "rapid and reliable access to space is now a reality for small satellites."
Ancient continent discovered beneath the ice of Antarctica
The ice sheets of Antarctica could be hiding the remains of a long-lost continent, according to satellite data collected by the ESA. They created a 3D map of the crust beneath the Antarctic ice sheet which shows a similarity to the crust in Australia and India, suggesting they used to be joined.
Quantum-based accelerometer can locate objects without GPS
Researchers at Imperial College London have created a quantum "compass" that allows navigation without reliance on satellites. The instrument, technically called a standalone quantum accelerometer, is small enough to be transportable and has a very high level of accuracy.
Pairs of supermassive black holes spotted in colliding galaxies
Astronomers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have discovered several pairs of supermassive black holes in galaxies that are colliding with each other. These pairs of black holes will spiral closer and closer together and eventually merge into one enormous supermassive black hole.
Astronomers discover two rogue planets that do not orbit a star
Astronomers from Warsaw University, Poland have identified two rogue planets in our galaxy which do not orbit around a star. Unlike the vast majority of discovered planets, these rogue planets drift through space alone with no sun to shine on them. Some researchers predict many more could exist in our galaxy.
Curiosity rover active and drilling again after computer issue
The Curiosity rover exploring Mars has succeeded in drilling a hole into the tough bedrock that previously defeated it, allowing imaging and collection of samples from the planet's surface. The rover had been incapacitated for a few weeks due to problems with its computer, but is now moving once more.
‘Bionic mushroom’ can generate electricity without using fossil fuels
Researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey have come up with an unexpected way to produce electricity without fossil fuels: A mushroom covered with bacteria. The mushroom provides a safe environment for special cyanobacteria that generate electricity when light is shone on them.
Photography News: Flickr keeping Creative Commons photos, ONA gets colorful
In this week's Photography News: Flickr has confirmed it's saving all Creative Commons images and working with nonprofits to save images, ONA has released a new capsule collection in partnership with Passion Passport and 7Artisans has launched a new drone-specific 35mm f/5.6 lens.
This smart toothbrush will clean all your teeth in just 6 seconds
Looking nothing like a traditional toothbrush, the Unobrush device uses an ergonomic, patent-pending medical-grade sponge-like mouthpiece and pulsing sonic vibrations to clean all of your teeth simultaneously in just 6 seconds! Think of this innovative tech as a hyperactive mouthguard.
Hublot’s newest luxury watch costs $25,000, and you can only pay in Bitcoin
The Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 P2P is the latest luxury timepiece from the watch brand, and is a special limited edition made to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Bitcoin. Eager buyers must use the cryptocurrency to buy one, and they'll need substantial virtual wallets to afford the $25,000 price tag.
Virtual newscaster wants to know: Is this the real me or just a fantasy?
Xinhua News, China's state news agency, introduced a virtual newsreader. The agency says the virtual presenters will reduce production costs and will be used on its website and social media channels. The voices, lip movements, and expressions of real news presenters are used to synthesize the virtual readers.
Follow the yellow brick road? New pee-based ‘bio-bricks’ cut construction costs
University of Cape Town graduate students recently revealed the results of a long-term project: bio-bricks created from human urine, sand, and bacteria. The environmentally kind building materials harden at room temperature and can be made in any shape and strength. The process also creates valuable by-products.
The worst rocket crashes in history
Space is a tricky business. The costs are high, and the losses can be severe both financially and mechanically. Failure happens and often results in an explosion and a fiery crash. We compiled the worst accidents in the history of space exploration that show just how tough the space industry can be.
Cigar-shaped comet may actually be an alien probe, Harvard scientists suggest
The story of the cigar-shaped comet called 'Oumuamua just got a little bit weirder now that researchers from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics say the outer-space object may actually be an alien probe.
Aussie teen bags $24,000 top prize at World Drone Racing Championships
A 15-year-old Australian lad has been crowned the world's best drone racer after finishing top among 127 other competitors from 34 countries. Rudi Browning also picked up a $24,000 cash prize for his victory at last weekend's FAI World Drone Racing Championships in Shenzhen, China.