-
Robochop makes garden trimming a snip
Automation and computer-aided designs are seeding the future of home gardens. With the onset of designer gardens as a service and rose-pruning robots, weekends spent toiling in the garden will be more productive and personalized.... Read more
-
It's 2022. Why do we still not have waterproof phones?
While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from "waterproof." A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but a waterproof product is (meant to be) totally impervious to water.... Read more
-
After Roe v Wade, here's how women could adopt 'spycraft' to avoid tracking and prosecution
The art of concealing or misrepresenting one's identity in the physical world has long been practiced by spies engaged in espionage. In response, intelligence agencies designed techniques and technologies to identify people attempting to hide behind aliases.... Read more
-
Zillow lays off 55 employees in Texas as it shuts down its iBuying business
Zillow Group Inc. will lay off 55 employees in Texas as continues its exit from the home-flipping business.... Read more
-
The iPhone turns 15: A look at the past (and future) of one of the 21st century's most influential devices
Today marks 15 years since Apple released what's arguably its flagship device: the iPhone. A decade and a half later, there are few products that have managed to reach a similar level of brand recognition.... Read more
-
Facebook, Instagram take down posts offering abortion pills
Facebook and Instagram have started taking down posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to get them after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.... Read more
-
Supernumerary virtual robotic arms can feel like part of the body
Research teams at the University of Tokyo, Keio University and Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan have developed a virtual robotic limb system which can be operated by users' feet in a virtual environment as extra, or supernumerary, limbs. After training, users reported feeling like the virtual robotic arms had... Read more
-
To beat the summer heat, passive cooling really works
Opening the windows at night and pulling down shades during the sunniest part of the afternoon can keep homes from becoming dangerously hot during extreme heat waves.... Read more
-
Amazon's Alexa could soon mimic voice of dead relatives
Amazon's Alexa might soon replicate the voice of family members—even if they're dead.... Read more
-
California drought: 'Smart' water meters coming to San Jose, other Bay Area cities
You've got a smartphone. Maybe a smartwatch. Or even a smart doorbell.... Read more
-
Should you take your consumer gripe to the Better Business Bureau or Twitter?
Is the Better Business Bureau still relevant to consumers in an age of almost instant response on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram?... Read more
-
Epoxy.ai, a Philadelphia tech start-up, aims to sync TV watching with sports betting
Chris Reynolds and Jason Angelides developed the gizmo on the TV remote that brought deep-dive sports stats—tracking game momentum and player statistics—to millions of Xfinity subscribers.... Read more
-
US lawmakers push for universal chargers for smartphones, mobile devices
A trio of U.S. senators is urging support for a universal charging standard for smartphones and mobile devices after the European Union recently agreed on new rules.... Read more
-
How math and language can combine to map the globe and create strong passwords, using the power of 3 random words
It's hard to imagine that three random words have the power to both map the globe and keep your private data secure. The secret behind this power is just a little bit of math.... Read more
-
Could the blockchain restore consumer trust and food security?
Despite attempts to label the blockchain as a disruptive "trust machine", the tangible business applications of this nascent technology have yet to take shape in practice and be more visible for customers.... Read more
-
E-Scooters in Tucson, AZ: Modeling placement, charging, and rebalancing
Are e-scooters just the first sign of a shared-mobility revolution? If they are, then researchers at the University of Arizona intend to make sure that the emerging transportation system has functional models on par with other modes of transportation.... Read more
-
Is using a phone while pumping gas actually dangerous? Not as much as sitting in your car
Signs on gas pumps across the nation caution "Do not use cell phone while pumping gas" or "Turn off cellular phone," but is there a real danger to talking or texting on your phone while pumping gas? Could it cause an explosion?... Read more
-
How we describe the metaverse makes a difference. Today's words could shape tomorrow's reality and who benefits from it
Quick, define the word "metaverse."... Read more
-
Despite choppy NFT waters, museum and other players help artists make cash, raise visibility
Along a seemingly endless hallway in the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, where IBM developed its personal computer several decades ago, artworks displayed on a half dozen 65-inch commercial monitors rotate every 20 minutes.... Read more
-
Apple TV becomes the new home of Major League Soccer with a 10-year deal for every game
The home of Ted Lasso will soon become the major home of Major League Soccer.... Read more
-
Royal Caribbean may add Elon Musk's Starlink internet service to its cruise ships
Royal Caribbean Group could soon offer Starlink internet on its ships.... Read more
-
Retailers say they use facial recognition for 'loss prevention.' An expert explains what it might mean for you
Once the purview of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, facial recognition is now being used to identify consumers in Australian stores.... Read more
-
Researchers demonstrate two security methods that efficiently protect analog-to-digital converters from powerful attacks
Researchers are pushing to outpace hackers and develop stronger protections that keep data safe from malicious agents who would steal information by eavesdropping on smart devices.... Read more
-
Fears over technology 'addictions' and 'disorders' may be unjustified
Current measures of digital technology use are not fit for purpose say researchers.... Read more
-
Meta's Quest VR gear to let people 'hang out' in metaverse
Meta on Friday said that it is adding the ability to easily socialize in virtual reality with an update to its Quest 2 headsets in another step toward the metaverse.... Read more
-
Instant lip plump from home? Experts warn against viral 'hyaluron pen'
From plumping glosses to enhancement tools, many young people are attempting to achieve fuller lips from home. But experts are warning against a new product trending on social media.... Read more
-
Whole Foods shoppers sue Amazon following end of free delivery for Prime members
Amazon could be facing two legal challenges from shoppers who say the company misled them and violated state law when it ended free delivery from Whole Foods Market for Prime members.... Read more
-
Xbox expands cloud gaming service to Samsung smart TVs
Microsoft on Thursday announced that the ability to play Xbox games will be built into Samsung smart televisions in its latest cloud gaming move.... Read more
-
Researchers sharpen Cupid's aim on dating apps with new algorithm
A new algorithm proposed by a University of Texas at Dallas researcher and his colleagues could help dating app users find the perfect mate.... Read more
-
Safety boosters make e-bikes even better
If Europe is to meet its ambitious environmental goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, more and more people will need to cycle to get around. With World Bicycle Day on June 3rd celebrating pedal power's undeniable benefits, we are curious to know what the bike and e-bike of the... Read more
-
This tech firm aims to deliver food more cheaply than DoorDash or UberEats
Just two companies, DoorDash and UberEats—both based in San Francisco—arrange five out of every six restaurant meal deliveries in the U.S.... Read more
-
Amber Alerts have arrived on Instagram nationwide. Here's what to expect and how they work
Instagram users across the United States will notice a new feature with the popular app.... Read more
-
Considering trauma in tech design could benefit all users
It's a common occurrence: Your phone or computer's operating system runs an automatic update, and all of a sudden things look a little different.... Read more
-
Buy now, pay later: Apple will now lend you money to keep you spending and expand its empire
Apple has joined the thriving "buy now, pay later" industry, with a customized service called Apple Pay Later. The service was announced earlier this week at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference, and will initially be launched in the United States later this year.... Read more
-
Apple debuts pay-later service, iPhone updates to developers
Apple Inc. unveiled a flurry of new software features and services at its Worldwide Developers Conference, including an updated iPhone lock screen, multitasking features for the iPad and a pay-later service that vaults it further into finance.... Read more
-
Creativity as survival: Crowdsourcing unexpected ways we use technology
People and communities are constantly finding new uses for existing technologies—things the technology's designers never intended, and possibly never even considered. To better understand this creative process, I'm part of a team of researchers that is collecting examples of how people are using mobile, networked technologies to accomplish unexpected things—from... Read more
-
EU agrees single charger standard, in blow to Apple
European officials on Tuesday agreed the text of a proposed EU law imposing a standard charger for smartphones, tablets and laptops sold in the bloc, in a blow to Apple.... Read more
-
Apple offers glimpse at upcoming changes to iPhone software
Apple on Monday provided a peek at upcoming tweaks to the software that powers more than 1 billion iPhones and rolled out two laptops that will be the first available with the next generation of a company-designed microprocessor.... Read more
-
Is the global fashion industry about to be revolutionized by a new sanitization technology?
An eco-friendly technology that effectively sanitizes clothing could help protect the environment by dramatically slashing waste, researchers believe. They have published their results in Ozone: Science & Engineering.... Read more
-
An edible QR code takes a shot at fake whiskey
In the future, when you order a shot of whiskey, you might ask the bartender to hold an edible fluorescent silk tag that could be found floating inside—even though it is safe to consume.... Read more
-
Tracking sleep with a self-powering smart pillow
The human body needs sleep as much as it needs food and water. Yet many people fail to get enough, causing both mind and body to suffer. People who struggle for shut-eye could benefit from monitoring their sleep, but they have limited options for doing so. In a new study... Read more
-
Metro Vancouver can safely integrate most new electric-powered mobility devices, study finds
Love them or hate them, new mobility devices like e-bikes are here to stay.... Read more
-
Raleigh to host first in-person Fortnite tournament since 2019 World Cup
Epic Games has announced the city of Raleigh will host the 2022 Fortnite Champion Series Invitationals later this year, the first major in-person competitive Fortnite event since 2019.... Read more
-
Inside Twitter, shuffled jobs and Elon Musk tweets dampen morale
Twitter Inc. employees are enduring the whiplash of public commentary from the social network's future owner, a changeover in leadership and a hiring freeze. On top of all that, some will be assigned new jobs as the company shifts away from its riskier projects.... Read more
-
Crypto gaming is sold with promise of convenience and riches. In practice, it's deeply exploitative
Video games are increasingly incorporating blockchains, the decentralized databases that underpin cryptocurrencies, as well as NFTs and other "digital assets." New games are emerging expressly to support blockchain technology, while traditional games are being updated to incorporate blockchains.... Read more
-
Best Buy's urgent response service expands to Amazon's Alexa devices
Best Buy Co. said Friday it's expanding its Lively Urgent Response service to Amazon's Alexa-enabled home devices, such as Echo speakers and Fire tablets.... Read more
-
Rate or tip first? This corporate decision can decrease or boost worker tips
Researchers from City University of Hong Kong, University of Minnesota, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that finds that requesting customers rate service professionals first can lead to smaller tips, whereas asking customers to tip first does not influence subsequent rating scores.... Read more
-
Book traces the different trajectories of virtual reality in the US and Japan
What is virtual reality? On a technical level, it is a headset-enabled system using images and sounds to make the user feel as if they are in another place altogether. But in terms of the content and essence of virtual reality—well, that may depend on where you are.... Read more
-
Walmart plans $3.99 drone deliveries in six states by year-end
Walmart Inc. and partner DroneUp LLC plan to expand their drone-delivery hubs to 34 locations in six states by year-end, taking a big step toward scaling up aerial dropoffs for U.S. shoppers even though big regulatory hurdles remain.... Read more
-
'I don't even remember what I read': People enter a 'dissociative state' when using social media
Sometimes when we are reading a good book, it's like we are transported into another world and we stop paying attention to what's around us.... Read more