Consumer

HEADLINES ARCHIVE

  • 13 Reasons Graphene Is a 'Wonder Material'

    Graphene has been called a “wonder material” thanks to its many unique properties. Here’s a list of 13 areas where this wonder material is being put to wondrous use.

  • Automotive Interiors are Driving Upholstery Growth

    When purchasing a car, truck or SUV, an increasingly important feature for buyers is the car’s interior. The automotive upholstery market was estimated to be $4.65 billion in 2017. That market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 6.6 percent over the next eight years, reaching $7.75 billion by 2025.

  • Researchers Create Color-changing Fabric

    A team of University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers has created fabric capable of changing color.

  • Chicago, San Francisco Expected to get Amazon Go Stores

    Amazon's cashierless store scheme is expected to expand to two other U.S. cities, according to recent reports.

  • Customizable Diagnostic Device Can Detect Many Viruses and Diseases for Rural Medical Care

    The new system is called Ampli Blocks and was developed by MIT’s Little Devices Lab. The research team hopes to further develop the system to detect human papillomavirus, malaria, Lyme disease, cancer and more.

  • Study Finds That Even at Low Concentrations, Silver Can Thwart Wastewater Treatment

    Silver nanoparticles, commonly added to a number of consumer products for their reported antibacterial properties, may be hampering wastewater treatment efforts, according to research from Oregon State University.

  • Researchers Develop Implantable Sensor that Dissolves After Use

    Overcoming both performance and biocompatibility issues, the research team has found a solution that would make a second surgery to remove an implantable sensor wholly unnecessary.

  • Air Conditioning Use Expected to Triple by 2050, According to Report

    With an estimated 1.6 billion buildings worldwide currently outfitted with air conditioning units, research from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that number will increase to 5.6 billion by the year 2050.

  • Scientists Develop New Tool That Predicts Eye, Hair and Skin Color from a DNA Sample of an Unidentified Individual

    Using what is being described as a first-of-its-kind tool, a team of international scientists are now capable of making accurate predictions about hair, eye and skin color from samples of human biological material, including small amounts of DNA.

  • U.K. Watchdog Calling Facial Recognition Technology 'Inaccurate'

    Though gaining in worldwide usage, the accuracy of facial recognition technology is being challenged by U.K. privacy watchdog Big Brother Watch, according to recent reports.

  • New Development in LCDs Allows Screens to Be Viewed in Perfect Color from Any Angle

    A team of researchers from Russia, France and Germany, at MIPT’s Laboratory of Functional Organic and Hybrid Materials, have tackled viewing problems associated with LCD screens.

  • Carnegie Mellon Set to Launch First U.S. Undergrad AI Degree

    Recognizing a lack of AI specialists and a growing demand for experts in the field of AI, CMU expects to roll out the undergraduate degree program this fall.

  • Using Fingerprints to Access Smartphones May Soon Be Replaced By Scanning User's Veins

    Securing a smartphone with a fingerprint is on the verge of becoming obsolete, according to a team of researchers from Edith Cowan University.

  • Dog-like Robot Available for Sale in 2019

    Makers of the SpotMini — a dog-like robot — announced that the robotic pet will be available for purchase by next year.

  • Trust and Equality are Important to People Interacting with Robots and AI According to New Study

    Equal access and social responsibility should be priorities for policymakers in the ongoing development of AI and robotics.

  • Saving Coral Reefs...with Beer

    While Hawaii is attempting to save its coral reefs with a recent ban on some sunscreens, the Florida Aquarium is attempting to save the reefs by brewing its own beer.

  • What Makes Ice So Slippery?

    Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and MPI-P have a theory behind what makes ice so slippery.

  • Watch: Smart Window Development, the Skim Reaper, Wet Wipe Ban in UK

    This week's engineering brief covers smart windows, ATM security and the UK's wet wipe ban.

  • Ban on Removable Storage Devices at IBM

    Employees at IBM are now prohibited from using removable storage devices of any variety while in the workplace, according to a recent report.

  • Constructing Emergency Shelters with Used Plastic Bottles

    Typically, after disaster strikes, supplies such as food, medicine and bottled water are sent to the affected location. With untold numbers of plastic bottled water sent to such sites, how the plastic bottles are disposed of after use become, understandably, a minor consideration.

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