The trend over the past few years to monitor ourselves via wearable devices is now moving into monitoring the world around us. Lots of new products are now coming online, and many of these are connected devices that are designed to fit snugly into our homes and offices. AurAir is one of the latest examples of this trend. Designed to provide an...
After more than 500 years and 40 popes, the Swiss Guard is dropping its classic metal helmets and adopting 3D-printed ones made of plastic–PA-12, to be exact. Why 3D-print such a long-standing part of Vatican tradition? The Swiss Guard has been around since the 1500s, after all. For starters, the new PA-12 helmets are lightweight and UV...
Pizza Hut is collaborating with FedEx for a new autonomous delivery device aimed to automate local delivery. The FedEx delivery robot is in development by FedEx and the DEKA Research and Development Corp., and is equipped with technology that allows it to navigate unpaved surfaces, curbs, and even steps to deliver a door-to-door delivery...
In news that journalists around the world are perhaps loath to report, China has just unveiled another non-human that is set to steal their jobs. China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, unveiled "the world's first female AI news anchor" to read alongside its male AI news presenters. Dystopian? Maybe not. But it is unsettling for those who are...
With facial recognition, temporary ID printers and bathrooms equipped with LED screens, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station is already pretty high-tech. But things are about to get even better (and faster) as the railway station will soon be outfitted with an indoor 5G network. The project is expected to be operational by the end of the year....
a partnership between US grocery retailer Albertson and medical tech company Genomind saw Genomind’s DNA testing kits made available to purchase at select Albertson stores. The test – called the Genecept Assay – helps determine how an individual will respond to different psychiatric medications by studying genes responsible for neurotransmitter...
At the moment, in order to tell our virtual assistants to do something, we still have say something like "Alexa, tell X to do Y". But this is changing so that you can ask any question or make any request in natural language, and Alexa will connect to the appropriate skill automatically. For example if you say "what are the surf conditions at...
Twiga Foods in Kenya, a platform helping farmers distribute produce to food stalls, partnered with IBM to extend microloans to stall vendors. IBM created a system to help these sellers receive credit scores; a machine learning algorithm analyzes their mobile purchase records and calculates a credit score. The end-to-end lending process is then...
Despite major initiatives to digitize healthcare information, major improvements in transparency and interoperability among various groups in the healthcare system are still necessary. By reducing administrative errors and friction through the application of blockchain technology, healthcare information could be exchanged more efficiently....
Package delivery is quickly becoming a more decentralized market given the rising popularity of on-demand services, which is what the 'Shippa' app aims to help build on. Positioned as a world traveler delivery service, the platform enables travelers to take packages with them when heading out of a trip to make a bit of extra money. This also...