HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Google Assistant Can Now Make Your Hair Appointments and Restaurant Reservations
Thanks to technology called Duplex, Google Assistant is now able to make calls to schedule appointments and reservations for users — all while sounding like an actual human.
Researchers Closer to a Cocaine Breathalyzer
Researchers from the University at Buffalo have developed a low-cost chip that brings them one step closer to developing a breathalyzer that works much like an alcohol breathalyzer but instead of alcohol, the device would be capable of detecting cocaine.
Watch: Lithium-Sulfur Battery Uses Plastic to Solve Energy Storage Problems While Lowering Plastic Waste
The new method puts ink-free plastic that is soaked in a sulfur-containing solvent in a microwave, and then turns that into batteries as a carbon scaffold.
Traveling By Bus Safer Than Traveling by Car, According to New Study
According to a new study from the Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), taking a bus is far safer than taking a car to your destination as well as being much safer for cyclists and pedestrians traveling along the same route.
New Device That Detects Credit Card Skimmers
How can you tell if the ATM or pay-at-the-pump card reader you are using has been compromised by a credit card skimmer? A team of researchers from the University of Florida wants to answer that question using a new device.
Google Rebrands Its Research Division
To underscore how significant it is to the future of the company, Google has rebranded its Google Research division and will be referring to it from here on out as Google AI.
U.K. to Consider Wet Wipe Ban
Amid mounting concern for plastic pollution levels, the U.K. is considering an eventual ban on wet wipes containing plastic — the kind used for personal hygiene and those used to clean surfaces.
Paper Suggests That with Advances in 3D Printing Come Unexpected Threats
Advancing industries such as the aerospace industry with jet engine parts or the medical industry with prosthetic limbs, additive manufacturing — better known as 3D printing — is making more and more things possible.
Amazon Wants to Scan Customer Bodies for a Better Fit, Fewer Returns
The biggest drawback to online shopping as anyone will tell you is not being able to actually try on the clothes to gauge how they fit and feel. Retail juggernaut Amazon is hoping to remedy that problem, thereby limiting the amount of clothing that goes returned every year, with the help of a body scanner.
New Study Suggests U.S. Users Still Loyal to Facebook
Despite a few scandalous, headline-making months, Facebook’s popularity among U.S. users is almost unchanged with reports indicating that loyalty to the brand has not waned.
Norway's Fjords to Become Zero Emission Zones
In eight years’ time, Norway’s fjords are expected to become zero emission zones — a move that would likely impact the cruise ships and ferries bringing tourists to one of Europe’s most popular destinations.
Tic Tac Toe Playing Robot Helps Patients in Rehab Regain Everyday Movements
A new robot from researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) plays tic tac toe with people who are trying to improve real-life tasks performance after surgery.
Using Sweat to Help Investigate Crime Scenes
Considering that our skin is covered in sweat glands (on average, 650 sweat glands per square inch of skin), it’s safe to say that we leave a trail of our sweat wherever we go and on whatever we touch. As such, researchers from the University at Albany believe that this “data” can be used to help with crime scene investigations.
Study Participants Warm to the Idea of Robot Counselors
Researchers from the University of Plymouth have determined that social robots could potentially be used to “counsel” humans.
Former VW Exec Charged with Conspiracy and Wire Fraud in Emissions Scandal
If convicted, the former CEO faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine on the wire fraud charges.
Philadelphia to Launch City-owned Mussel Hatchery to Improve Water Quality
In an effort to improve water quality in the Delaware River Basin, officials in Philadelphia have announced plans to restore dwindling mussel populations by launching a city-owned mussel hatchery.
Ancient Solar Stills Get an Upgrade with Carbon Paper for Clean Water Production
Black, carbon-dipped, triangular paper is used to absorb and vaporize water at incredible rates in solar stills.
China Trialing AI Body Scanners at Some of its Airports
Airports in China will soon be outfitted with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered body scanners capable of detecting nearly 90 different banned items in under a second.
Amid Data Use Controversy, Cambridge Analytica Shuts Down
Steeped in a data-use controversy that will likely shape how personal data is used and gathered in the future, political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica announced that it will be closing its doors.
Hawaii Approves Bill Banning Over-the-Counter Sunscreens That Threaten Coral Reefs
If signed, the ban will go into effect on January 1, 2021.