Text-based lie detector can help cops filter out fake robbery reports
Researchers from the U.K.’s Cardiff University and Spain’s Charles III University of Madrid have developed a software tool which can reportedly help law enforcement accurately identify false statements about robberies, based on the statements given to police. Here's how it works.
This cafe lets students trade their data for a ‘free’ cup of coffee
Can't afford to pay for your morning coffee? Shiru Cafe will offer you a cup of joe in exchange for some crucial details about yourself. This can then be used to help set you up with companies that might be interested in you. The chain opened its first U.S. location earlier this year.
Robot uprising a step closer with plan for factory where they build themselves
A factory where robots make robots is surely the stuff of nightmares for those living in fear of the dreaded uprising. But putting apocalyptic horrors aside for a moment, ABB's new facility could be one of the most advanced of its kind when it opens in 2020 with plans to make 100,000 robots a year.
Mission to Mercury successfully launched by Japanese and European space agencies
A spacecraft with a mission to explore Mercury has been launched in a combined effort by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The aim of the mission is to study Mercury's inner core and perhaps even to discover information about the formation of our solar system.
Hubble Telescope functioning again after activation of backup gyro
NASA has announced that the Hubble telescope has been fixed. On October 5, the telescope suffered a failure of one of six gyros on board -- instruments which measure the rotation of the craft. After the activation of a backup gyro and a series of maneuvers, the telescope will return to normal operations.
Meet the company resurrecting dead celebrities and digitally cloning living ones
From Star Wars to the MCU, the trend for de-aging or even digitally resurrecting old actors is becoming a major part of Hollywood. Digital Domain is one visual effects company leading the charge. Here's how they create their digital actors -- and what it means for the future of movies.
5 crazy successful Kickstarters that didn’t live up to the hype
Just because a Kickstarter project secures millions in funding, doesn't necessarily mean it will produce a product that's actually worthwhile. To prove our point, we've put together a list of products that blew past their funding goals only to be met with less-than-stellar reception.
Can Aibo replace Fido? I fostered Sony’s robot dog for a week to find out
Can a robot dog replace a real dog? I set out to find the answer to that question by “fostering” Aibo, Sony’s robot dog. I came away from the experience with more questions than answers. While robot dogs are not for me, Sony sure did a great job of making just about the cutest artificially intelligent pup there is.
Tiny FlyCroTug drones can open doors and pull objects 40 times their weight
Tiny new drones that can pull objects of up to 40 times their own weight have been developed by scientists working in the U.S. and Switzerland. The drones can perform complex tasks like lassoing a door handle to open it or navigating small spaces to deliver bottles of water in a rescue scenario.
These are the largest solar farms in the world
Photovoltaic solar energy is the fastest-growing energy source. Growth is booming especially in the deserts of Asia and the Middle East where huge solar farms are in the process of being built and expanded. We profile some of the largest across the world spanning China, India, the Middle East and the US.
Photography News: Filter your drone; outfit a Sony with its smallest ultrawide
Flying one of DJI's latest drones? Tiffen now makes filters to enhance the quality or flexibility of those on-board cameras. Venus Optics also announced the smallest in class ultrawide angle zoom for Sony E Mount. New Wine Country filters and Nikon Z7 accessories all in this week's photography news.
What’s the point of a blockchain phone? We asked an expert
We cut through the hype and look at the reasons behind the current wave of blockchain phones, what they can do, and what they might be do in the future. You’ll find out what exactly what a blockchain phone is, how it can handle crypto assets, and who might want to buy one.
It’s no longer illegal to ‘hack’ your electronics to repair them
The Librarian of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office just proposed the introduction of new laws which will give both customers and independent repair shops the ability to carry out legal hacks on the software on devices in order to carry out repairs or maintenance. That's a big win!
SpaceX is gearing up to launch a used Falcon 9 rocket booster for a third time
Reusing rockets is one of the ways SpaceX wants to make space travel simpler and more affordable. With that goal in mind, it's preparing to fly one of its first stage Falcon 9 rocket boosters for a third time. Until now, it hasn't ever flown a single first stage more than twice.
Should A.I cars put passengers before pedestrians? Here’s what millions said
Questions like whether a self-driving car should prioritize the life of its driver over pedestrians are, to put it mildly, complex ethical dilemmas. Researchers recently published the findings to a massive survey of 2.3 million people giving their thoughts on these conundrums.
Uh-oh. Somebody taught drones how to team up so they can open doors
These diminutive Flycrotug microdrones can open doors or move objects 40 times their weight -- and all they need are a pair of adhesive, insect-inspired feet, and an onboard lasso. They could one day be used as a valuable tool for search and rescue missions. Here's how they work.
Singapore plans to open its skies to drone taxi test flights in 2019
Think that autonomous flying taxis are decades away? Think again! Volocopter, a German company specializing in electric multirotor helicopters, is gearing up to run inner-city tests of its self-driving air taxis in Singapore. They will take place in the second half of 2019.
DT Daily: Drone-snatching eagles, streamer Disguised Toast, and more
In the second episode of our new-and-improved newscast, DT Daily host Greg Nibler and various guests discuss the latest headlines, an assortment of anti-drone measures, and Sony's latest robotic companion. We all also sit down with streamer Disguised Toast to talk Twitch and the state of streaming.
Boxy shuttles, not cars, will be people’s first taste of autonomous vehicles
In smart cities and on college campuses, several self-driving shuttle projects are in works. But these public transports of the future, and the companies that make them, are facing challenges, such as vandalism and regulatory approval. See how they and the communities that support them are working through the hurdles.
A.I. can do almost anything now, but here are 6 things machines still suck at
Predicting what A.I. and computers aren’t capable of can be a fool’s errand. But as artificial intelligence becomes more and more dominant in our lives, it's clear that not there are still big blind spots when it comes to the tasks machines can perform. Here are six examples.
Powered brace proves restoring arm functionality is no longer out of reach
The MyoPro myoelectric arm orthosis promises to help restore functionality in the arms and hands of individuals with neuromuscular disease or injury. That includes those affected by conditions such as strokes, brachial plexus injury, or cerebral palsy. Here's how it works.
Struggling to start a good habit? Simone Giertz’s Every Day Calendar can help
Simone Giertz is best known as the maker of crappy robots on YouTube, but her first Kickstarter campaign is no failure. In fact, her LED-studded Every Day calendar has already racked up more than $250,000 of pledges on the crowdfunding platform. And there's still time to get involved!
An app uses your smartphone camera to tell if you’re alert at work
Do you lose concentration while at work? Researchers from Cornell University have developed a smart app which uses a smartphone camera to keep tabs on users' alertness -- by measuring the size of their pupils each time they unlock their phone. Here's why that's so useful.
What’s it like to die? This VR experience puts doctors in a dying man’s shoes
A new virtual reality experience by LA-based studio Embodied Labs depicts the end-of-life experience for a 66-year-old cancer patient. It is already being used as a teaching tool in hospices and medical schools. But can VR really make us more empathetic? A recent study says yes.
Europe’s space agency plans to build its own “low-gravity” moon base — on Earth
The European Space Agency is developing an astronaut center in Cologne, Germany, where it will replicate the surface of the moon. Dubbed Luna, the facility will be used to test new technology and tools that future crews may find handy while exploring our nearest cosmic neighbor.
Want to be the king of the world? Titanic II will set sail in 2022 — for real
Do you ever wish you could have sailed on the RMS Titanic? No? Well, you could get your chance anyway, since an ambitious project is recreating the original ship -- only with the benefit of modern technology and a few more lifeboats. The Titanic II promises to set sail in 2022.
Wirelessly charging an EV in 15 minutes sounds crazy, but it’s getting closer
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory want you to be able to wirelessly charge your electric vehicle in just 15 minutes. It sounds impossible, but they've just passed a major milestone on the journey to that goal. This is what they've developed.
Meet the $1.5m Xprize winner that makes artificial clouds in shipping containers
Could the solution to a lack of clean drinking water in parts of the world be an artificial cloud inside a shipping container? It might sound crazy, but it’s the revolutionary concept which just won the $1.5 million Water Abundance XPrize. Here's how the technology works.
World’s first drone-equipped motorcycle features a special space for the Spark
If your sidecar is missing a drone or your drone a sidecar, then check out how the two machines have been brought together in this unique design from Ural Motorcycles. Only 40 of the combos have been made, though that may well turn out to be enough. The Ural Air goes on sale in November.
Watch the moment NASA releases 450,000 gallons of water onto a launch pad
NASA's next-generation rocket — part of its eagerly anticipated Space Launch System — will be one of the most powerful ever made and at launch will generate a colossal amount of heat and energy. To keep it under control, the space agency has developed a system that releases a huge amount of water in just one minute.
Silo A.I. vacuum storage system tells you when your leftovers are going bad
"Alexa, is the chicken still OK to eat?" Newly launched on Kickstarter, Silo is a neat vacuum storage container that promises to greatly extend the life of your food by up to five times. And for good measure, Alexa integration adds some impressive (and useful) A.I. smarts.
These solar-powered water purifiers can produce 30,000 gallons of water per day
Every day, somewhere in the world experiences issues with contaminated water, and has to turn to either bottled water as a solution. The company Quench Water & Solar is offering a mobile solar-powered water purifier to anyone who wants to take the matter in their own hands.
There’s finally a way to trace ‘untraceable’ 3D printed guns
3D printers could be used to manufacture firearms without any traceable serial number. To help track these weapons, researchers have developed a new algorithm which is able to identify which 3D printer was used to print an object, based on its unique fingerprint. Here's how.
From electron microscopes to X-rays, high-tech tools expose low-tech art forgery
The Indianapolis Museum of Art has over a million dollars worth of equipment for helping restore art, but conservation scientist Greg Smith and Glennis Rayermann, then a Ph.D student, used it to spot a probable forgery by Icilio Federico Joni.