Why leaky taps make that ‘plink’ noise — and what we can do about it
Thanks to high-speed cameras and sensitive microphones, scientists from the U.K.'s University of Cambridge have an explanation for why leaking taps make that dreaded 'plink' sound when they drip -- and what we can do to stop it. Aside from replacing our old taps, that is!
Techy sports we will all be watching in the (not-too-distant) future
Science fiction has kind of gotten our hopes up about the future of sport. While we've not yet got a real version of Star Wars' Podracing, that doesn't mean there aren't some impressive high tech sports out there. Here are our picks for the ones we think are going to be everywhere in a few years.
How close are we to living in ‘The Jetsons’? Checking in on our smart-home future
From video calling to robot maids, The Jetsons made many bold predictions of what daily life could be like in the year 2062. We took a look at the technology featured in the cartoon to see how close (or how far off) the cartoon was in predicting the technology of the future.
Watch inside Soyuz as it blasts astronauts (and toys) into space
It sure looks cramped inside the Soyuz capsule. A new video reveals the tight conditions three astronauts had to endure during a recent two-day trip to the space station. Besides holding the astronauts, the capsule also contains cargo for the station, and includes furry toys, too. But they're there for a good reason.
Japan aims to power Tokyo Olympics with 100 percent renewable energy
Japan is aiming to make the Tokyo Olympics the greenest ever, with plans to power the sporting extravaganza with 100 percent renewable energy. Part of the strategy includes ramping up wind and solar projects before 2020, while other efforts include making medals from metals taken from discarded mobile phones.
Super absorbent wound dressing will swell up to save soldiers’ lives in combat
According to the U.S. Army, around 80-90 percent of potentially survivable deaths among American soldiers on the battlefield happen as the result of uncontrolled bleeding. This next-gen wound dressing, able to absorb up to 800 percent of its material weight in liquid, could help.
Inhalable nutrients offer an alternative to energy drinks and supplements
Wish you could vape yourself healthy? A new startup named Nutriair has created a series of inhalable nutrients, which enter the body through micro-aerosolization. According to its creators, the results are a one-stop-shop for nutrients which could replace other supplements.
Portable microphone system transcribes multi-person conversations in real time
A new multi-microphone system called SpeakSee can accurately transcribe conversations for Deaf users, rendering everyday chat between groups of people as a multi-person script. Here's how it works, and why it could turn out to be an incredibly valuable tool for its users.
Avoiding armageddon: U.S. reveals plans to counter killer asteroids
Although the possibility of such an event is very small, a new report outlines some of the steps that government agencies can take to prepare for the possibility of an apocalyptic collision with an asteroid or comet. The possibilities range from crashing spacecraft into approaching objects to detonating bombs.
MIT researchers develop a robot system controlled by brainwaves
What if you could watch a robot work and, with a simple hand movement, stop it before it made a mistake? That’s the promise of new research from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Using EEG and EMG scanners, scientists connected a robot to a human with no training required.
How L’Oréal designed the UV Sense to fit on your fingernail
The L’Oréal Technology Incubator is constantly finding new ways to bring personalization and precision to its products by infusing it with technology. In time for summer, L’Oréal is releasing a pilot program for the UV Sense -- a battery-free wearable electric sensor that can measure your UV exposure.
Like a vice principal in the sky, this A.I. spots fights before they happen
Get ready for the future of surveillance! Researchers from the U.K. and India have developed a new drone-based surveillance system, which uses A.I.-equipped drones as flying smart security cameras to keep an eye (or several) on large gatherings of people. Here's how it works.
U.S. Customs says biometric entry and exit is coming first to this airport
While around a dozen airlines in the U.S. are testing biometric boarding and exit on international flights, a new agreement has the Orlando International Airport slated to be the first U.S. airport to use the technology for both entry and exits. The airport is working to implement the system using facial recognition.
New electronic skin allows bionic limbs to feel pain — and that’s a good thing
Bionic prostheses have evolved by leaps and bounds. One thing that most of them can't do, however, is let their wearers feel pain. That's changing thanks to researchers at Johns Hopkins University -- and, despite what you might think, that could turn out to be a positive step forward.
Astronomers make huge exoplanet discovery haul in record time
In a paper published online this week in The Astronomical Journal, an international group of scientists reported that dozens of planetary candidates have been identified by measuring light fluctuations using K2, the mission that followed up NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope.
No more needles? Diabetics could one day treat themselves with a cup of coffee
For diabetics, keeping their illness under control by regulating their blood sugar level is a 24/7 job. But, thanks to Swiss researchers, one day it could be as simple as having a cup of coffee. Here's how it works -- and why Nespresso is good, but hot chocolate is not so effective.
6 self-driving car crashes that tapped the brakes on the autonomous revolution
Self-driving vehicles have the possibility to bring multiple benefits -- from safer driving experiences to less congestion in cities. With that being said, they're not perfect. Accidents happen for reasons of both human and technical error. These are the most significant crashes so far.
Amazon employees call on Jeff Bezos to end controversial tech contracts
In the wake of recent protests from Google and Microsoft workers, employees at Amazon are circulating a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos, urging the billionaire to stop selling facial recognition software to law enforcement and remove the big data firm Palantir from Amazon Web Services.
SpaceX wins confidence-boosting Falcon Heavy contract with U.S. Air Force
SpaceX has won its first major national security contract for the Falcon Heavy, giving a big vote of confidence to its newest and most powerful rocket to date. SpaceX will launch the U.S. Air Force's Space Command-52 satellite in 2020 in a deal worth $130 million.
Processed pies: Silicon Valley’s Zume Pizza ready to offer you dinner made by a robot
Even the food in Silicon Valley is getting high tech. No, we're not talking about meal-replacement shakes or coffee with butter in it - we're talking good, old-fashioned pizza. The pies from Zume Pizza are made by robots. And to help it reach new heights, the company is adding arms into the mix.
In the future, potholes could be repaired by asphalt-printing drones
Driving on roads covered in potholes is no fun. Researchers from the U.K. think one solution might involve drones that are able to fly to the site of an impending pothole and 3D print some new asphalt. Sound like the most over-engineered solution around? Not necessarily.
The creator of Internet Explorer wants to read your mind with a bracelet
The idea of controlling a computer with your thoughts sounds like the ultimate way of interfacing with machines. A New York startup called CTRL-Labs has created a device to make that a reality. And, no, it doesn't involve drilling a hole in your head to implant a chip in your brain.
Watch this Japanese ‘dragon’ drone slither through the air like a flying snake
Drones are awesome, but there are only so many conventional quadcopters you can see before you start to get a bit jaded. That's where a new drone from Japan's University of Tokyo comes into play -- courtesy of an awesome flying robot designed to look like a dragon.
This remote control robot promises to destroy a tank from three miles away
Estonian defense company Milrem has teamed up with a missile manufacturer to create an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) sporting up to four anti-tank missiles capable of penetrating 39.3 inches of hardened steel armor plating. Oh, you can add a robot arm or .50 caliber machine gun if needed.
Bitter lawmakers tell Google to justify Huawei link after A.I. military deal ends
The U.S. Congress has attacked Google over its partnership with Huawei, after a deal to develop A.I. tech between Google and the U.S. Department of Defense ended. Members of Congress asked Google to justify working with Huawei over the U.S. military. Google employees previously called for the project to end.
Germany plans to put Airbus and Audi’s cool flying taxi concept into the sky
Airbus and Audi have been working on a flying taxi concept for a while, and now there are plans to build a working model and put it in the skies. The German government this week greenlit tests for a vehicle that's aimed at offering a "flexible, shared, and adaptable new way of moving within cities."
Ohio wants to use camera drones to monitor highway traffic
Drones for traffic management? It may be coming to Ohio with the launch of a multi-million-dollar project to research how the tech could help monitor road conditions. But there's a lot of work to do, as it would involve convincing regulators that it's OK to fly the machines beyond the line of sight.
Easily transform your boring bike into an ebike with the GeoOrbital Wheel
Transform your regular bike into an eBike in under 60 seconds with the GeoOrbital wheel, an electric modification that snaps on in place of the front wheel.
Wetsuit filled with heavy gas could increase divers’ survival time by hours
A innovative new technique could help make wetsuits more insulated. Developed by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the treatment technique entails stuffing a standard wetsuit into a pressure tank, which displaces its air pockets and pumps them full of gas.
Scientists think a form of bacteria could help make Mars hospitable to humans
From how we’re going to get there to what we’re going to eat once we arrive, there are plenty of angles to consider when it comes to potentially colonizing Mars. Perhaps the biggest one of all, however, is how exactly we’re going to breathe there? The new properties of a particular bacteria might help.
Skip the trip to REI. You can 3D print this camping and backpacking gear at home
There's all kinds of little knickknacks and doodads for camping that cost way too much than they probably should, so we dug through Thingiverse to find the best camping and backpacking gear that you can 3D print yourself
Here’s a real version of that endlessly spinning top from ‘Inception’
Remember how Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Inception uses a spinning top to work out whether he’s awake or dreaming? Some people just created a similar top for real -- and it's won a Guinness World Record for spinning more than 27 hours. Here's how you can get one of your one.
August Home partners with Alexa, Assistant, and now, Alarm.com
August Home has partnered with Alarm.com, fully integrating its smart lock with security panels such as DSC, Interlogix, Nortek, and Qolsys. This functionality builds upon August's existing Google Assistant capabilities, as well as compatibility with Apple's HomeKit and Amazon Alexa.
SmokeBot robot can see things human firefighters can’t in smoke-filled rooms
Created by researchers in Sweden, SmokeBot is a firefighting robot designed to see and navigate in smoky areas. It could one day be used by firefighters to help assist in instances such as search-and-rescue missions. Here's how it works, and how it could one day save your life.