Microsoft’new universal keyboard offering is a well-built, slightly-smaller keyboard that can switch between operating systems at the touch of a button. The keyboard will work with almost any phone or tablet, compatible with Windows, Android and IOS operating systems. The size is 9.5 by 4.3 x 0.5 inches (24 x 10 x 11 cm), and the keyboard weighs … Read more
Who doesn’t still vaguely remember the first time they saw a water strider standing on top of a lake? The insects do it by taking advantage of water’s surface tension, which their thin water-repellent legs and light bodies can rest upon without puncturing through. Now, a Harvard University and Seoul National University joint team have built robots … Read more
Thousands of Chrysler vehicles can be hacked into from any computer connected to the internet, cutting out breaks, steering and transmission, according to two security experts and hackers who spend the last year creating a Uconnect hack. Recently, a 2014 Jeep Cherokee was tested out by WIRED editor Andy Greenberg, who let the hackers attack his vehicle … Read more
The age of homemade flying guns is upon us, as a Connecticut teenager demonstrated Tuesday, posting a YouTube video of a semi-automatic handgun strapped to a homemade helicopter drone, firing shots in the forest. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating 18-year-old Austin Haughwout from Clinton, Connecticut, who may have violated FAA regulations, which prohibit … Read more
A battle between the giant humanoid robots of America and Japan is in the works, as MegaBot USA’s challenge to Japan’s Kuratas Mecha has been formally accepted. Kuratas, the only giant humanoid robot manufacturer besides MegaBot, is set to meet the US bot suit sometime next year. Both bots will be equipped with paintball guns and … Read more
Imagine an Apple iPhone that smells like an apple or a Blackberry that taste sweet or a Windows Touch-phone that squeezes you in mid-conversation. Scientists in London have made more progress in the now-common smartphone to make the audio-visual communication transcend tool what engineers call “the glass barrier” and create an experience that is more 4-D. … Read more
Microsoft Devices Group and communications and information technology company Nokia are launching a $29 cell phone that will last one month on a single charge. “With our ultra-affordable mobile phones and digital services, we see an inspiring opportunity to connect the next billion people to the Internet for the first time,” Jo Harlow, Corporate Vice … Read more
Las Vegas is buzzing. After a week of tech advances at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, CES2015, drones have taken the lead in seducing not only an avid public, but also companies with serious interest in new appliances in a wide range of production sectors. This year the organization has designated a specific area for drones, … Read more
Digital archaeology that has revealed the earliest signs of web-life in America. Stanford Libraries has brought to light the first websites ever uploaded in the US–genealogically part Euro-descendant, part US original. The pages are now available for browsing, and Stanford Wayback, a customized platform for accessing archived web assets, provides a third dimension for viewing the … Read more
Japan’s aging population will be cared for by robots–not immigrant laborers, according to the plans of the Japanese government. The Abe government is increasing investments in healthcare robots to meet the nation’s needs, and recently announced subsidies that will cover up to two-thirds of the research and design costs for the development of various healthcare robots. One quarter … Read more
On Nov. 7, the White House’s science and technology branch will meet with robotics experts and medical and humanitarian officials to explore ways to use robots to help safely treat Ebola victims, as well as victims of other infectious diseases during epidemics. “The problem that we’re having now with Ebola is the same as the … Read more
A bubble gum company in Japan–a nation conscious of the relationship between chewing and cognitive function–has invented a chewing-sensor. The sensor, invented by a Tokyo-based gum manufacturer, counts chewing rate and intensity. “Chewing, unless you make a conscious effort, can be seen as a bit of a pain,” said Katsumi Kawai, chief marketing officer at … Read more