Collapsing ‘robot’ could save you a parking space on Black Friday
Want to be sure you get a parking spot at the mall on Black Friday? Maybe you should get a robot to guard your place for you! A startup called MyPark is offering exactly that service, courtesy of its spot-guarding mobile app and collapsible 'robot' guardians. Here's how it works.
Vibration-sensing tech turns any ‘dumb’ surface into a smart touch-sensitive one
What if it was possible to use a special chip to transform quite literally any surface into a touch-sensitive one able to act as a computer input? That science fiction dream is what startup HyperSurfaces is working to achieve. From the look of things, they're getting close.
Dangle no more: Window-washing drone for towers could replace human cleaners
The maker of a window-washing drone for tall buildings claims it can do the job 20 times faster than humans and is much safer than using workers in cradles. The 12-rotor flying machine draws power and water from sources on the ground, and is tethered to the top of the building for safety.
Novameat’s 3D-printed ‘steak’ looks gross, but could it save the planet?
A new Spanish startup called Novameat is developing a 3D-printed beefsteak, made using a paste composed of vegetable-based materials like rice, peas, and seaweed. It sounds unusual, but the company's founder is convinced that this is the foodstuff of the future. Here's why.
Drones can safely fly a human kidney without damaging it, study shows
Drone deliveries are well on their way. Could they also be used for safely delivering transplant organs to hospitals without damage? A recent test flight involving a human kidney, DJI M600 Pro drone, and specially developed smart sensor set out to find conclusive evidence.
DJI’s Ronin-S just got more capable with slew of new accessories
Need a longer battery life for the DJI Ronin-S, or perhaps a built-in screen or GPS? DJI has got you covered with a handful of new accessories for the company's one-hand gimbal. The accessories expand the mounting options, expand battery life, allow follow focus with manual lenses, and more.
Internet of cows? Smart ear tag takes cattle tracking into the future
An Australian startup wants to bring cattle farming into the present day with smart ear tags. The wearable devices are capable of revealing where herds are grazing, whether an animal has escaped or been stolen, or even if it's unwell or about to give birth. Here's how they work.
With Personal Food Computers, nerd farmers are finding the best way to grow
Caleb Harper is an MIT research scientist and head of the OpenAg Initiative. He builds personal food computers that have tons of sensors, cameras, and circuit boards. He thinks they’re the key to growing food designed to combat specific diseases and targeted for each person’s DNA.
This all-in-one shaving system lets you use over 40 blades from different brands
The Trazor shaving system gives you the opportunity to use 40 different blades from well-known brands, including Schick, Gillette, and more. It even houses shaving cream and aftershave available through a nifty pump in the handle. Trazor puts versatility, and a clean shave, within your grasp.
SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket goes bolder, changes its name to Starship
Elon Musk revealed that he's changed the name of SpaceX's BFR or Big Falcon Rocket to the grander 'Starship.' Oh, and if that wasn't enough it's getting a redesign, too -- and may even be one day used to visit other star systems trillions of miles away.
Toilet-scrubbing robot takes over one of the world’s crappiest jobs
When it comes to jobs that none of us enjoy, scrubbing the toilet would have to rank pretty highly. So why not hand the job over to robots? Thanks to researchers from Germany's University of Koblenz-Landau, very soon you might be able to do exactly that. Here's what they've developed.
NASA’s ‘space wheat’ is helping earthbound farmers grow crops quicker
Could technology first used by NASA to investigate growing plants on other planets help farmers improve crop yield back here on Earth? According to researchers in the U.K. and in Australia’s University of Queensland the answer is a resounding yes. Here's what they're doing.
NASA selects the all-important landing site for its Mars 2020 rover mission
After years of consideration, NASA has finally chosen the all-important landing site for its Mars 2020 rover. The location is a 28-mile-wide crater where water once flowed, with NASA suggesting it may contain material that could "revolutionize how we think about Mars and its ability to harbor life.”
From tornado flushes to remote controls, modern toilets are flush with tech
With the global observance of World Toilet Day on November 19, we take a look at how the modern toilet in our homes and businesses have evolved, and how they are becoming smarter tools in the future. We take a look at products from Toto and Kohler.
Doctors could soon ditch stitches and seal skin wounds with lasers
Just like the dermal regenerator in Star Trek, physicians may soon be able to heal skin wounds using smart, laser-based technology. That’s thanks to researchers from Arizona State University, who have demonstrated that it’s possible to repair animal wounds with a laser and new nanomaterial.
Step inside the Nepalese restaurant staffed by robot waiters
Paaila Technology, a new robotics startup from Nepal, has created a humanoid robot waiter called Ginger. It's capable of delivering food from kitchen to table, and can even engage customers in a bit of decidedly human banter as it does so. Just don't ask it to carry any drinks!
Forget joysticks — the Guts Game is controlled by a sensor that you swallow
Put down the PS4 controller! Researchers from Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have created an unusual new game involving a swallowable biosensor. Players compete by raising or lowering the temperature in their gut. Sound crazy? Here's why it could catch on.
‘Super magnesium’ may be the next wonder material for outdoor gear
Super Magnesium is a new alloy created by a startup Allite that promises to be a wonder material for use in cycling, outdoor gear, cars, and a variety of industries. Lighter than aluminum, as strong as carbon fiber, cheaper to make, and better for the planet, this could be the future of manufacturing.
Would you swap your keycard for a microchip implant? For many, the answer is yes
Put down your keycard! More and more people are turning to implanted RFID chips as their choice of workplace identification. Should we be worried about a world in which employees get microchipped? Meet the companies working in this field and the man who predicted it all back in 1998.
Ancient crater the size of NYC discovered under the Greenland ice sheet
A huge crater has been discovered beneath the ice of Greenland, and is thought to be the result of a meteorite impact millions of years ago. The crater is one of the largest ever discovered, measuring 19 miles across, and is the first to be found beneath the Greenland ice sheet.
Ghostly galaxy discovered lurking on the edge of the Milky Way
A team of astronomers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a strange galaxy next door to the Milky Way. The dwarf galaxy, named Antlia 2, is much larger than other dwarf galaxies. But it is dark and dim and gives out much less light than expected, hence being described as ghostly.
Smarter cities need smarter addresses. And you just need 3 words
In a smart city of drones and self-driving cars, the address systems of yore aren’t good enough. What3Words is a company that devised a smarter version that uses just three words, yet is far more precise. And it’s already in use now.
Microsoft’s friendly Xiaoice A.I can figure out what you want — before you ask
Move over Siri and Alexa! Microsoft has built a new type of A.I. assistant that wants to be your friend. Called Xiaoice, it is already making a big name for itself in places like China -- and its latest skill set will soon be landing in the U.S.
OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully tests its asteroid-sampling arm
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, launched in September 2016, is closing in on its target of the Bennu asteroid. And on October 16 NASA confirmed that an important step had been taken: the craft unfurled its robotic arm, called the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), and tested it.
‘Super-Earth’ discovered orbiting nearby star
Astronomers have discovered a large planet circling a sun nearby to Earth called Barnard's Star. The potential new planet is thought to be cold and icy and has a size of around 3.2 times the Earth. It is called Barnard's Star b and to lies 37 million miles from Bernard's Star.
Hope it doesn’t melt! Rocket to ISS carries vital supplies — including ice cream
A rocket has launched over Virginia's eastern shore, carrying supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket used was an Antares developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Inside the spacecraft are supplies for the ISS itself and the crew onboard, such as scientific equipment and food.
Hotter than the sun: Chinese fusion reactor claims breakthrough
China’s “artificial sun” has reached a temperature of 180 million ºF with a heating power of 10 megawatts -- six times hotter than the center of the sun. The device is designed to harness the energy of nuclear fusion, and could mark progress towards fusion as a clean energy source.
Here’s all the best tech gear and gadgetry that survived Shark Tank
The popular TV show "Shark Tank" has churned out quite a few strange, interesting, and downright awesome products, so we rounded up all of our favorites for your perusal. Enjoy!
This startup will sequence your entire genome for free — but there’s a catch
Want to get your DNA sequenced but don’t want to shell out the hundred bucks or so you’d have to pay companies such as 23andMe and Helix? No problem: A new startup called Nebula Genomics offers you the opportunity to have it done for free. Here's how you put your name forward.
The world’s first 3D-printed titanium wheels are so intricate they look fake
HRE Performance Wheels and GE Additive have teamed up to create the world's first 3D-printed titanium wheels. Called HRE3D+ wheels, they are not only impressively light due to their innovative creation process, but also very durable. Sadly, you'll have to wait to get your hands on them.
Elon Musk receives FCC approval to launch over 7,500 satellites into space
Nobody has ever accused SpaceX of thinking small. The FCC this week unanimously approved the company's plan to launch 7,518 satellites into a low-Earth orbit. These satellites, along with 4,425 previously approved satellites, will serve as the backbone, for the company's Starlink broadband network.
Hikers missing on Mount Fuji could soon find a drone buzzing above their heads
Mount Fuji attracts thousands of hikers every summer, with many of them making it all the way to the 3,776-meter summit of Japan's highest mountain. But with some hikers going missing while on the mountain, drones are going to be deployed to help find them as part of future search-and-rescue missions.
Google’s balloon internet is coming to Kenya in 2019
In order to bring the internet to those who lack it, a company called Loon is launching balloons into the stratosphere. From more than 12 miles up, these balloons beam connectivity over a large area on the ground. Loon hopes to empower people to build businesses, improve healthcare, and even increase crop yield.
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.