Smart speaker users will reach 76.5 million by 2020, according to the latest eMarketer forecast.
The average smart speaker user is still an older, millennial male, but the devices are gaining traction with younger, Gen X women with kids.
Amazon Echo is the most popular, but is losing share. Google Home will likely slow Echo’s growth.
Smart speaker adoption has been so strong, US adult users will surpass wearable users this year.
The Robots Roaming the High Seas
Engineer and adventurer Richard Jenkins has made oceangoing robots that could revolutionize fishing, drilling, and environmental science. His aim: a thousand of them.
Every spring, thousands of great white sharks begin a mysterious migration. From up and down America’s West Coast, they head straight for a Colorado-size patch of the Pacific about halfway between San Diego and Hawaii. Once there, they hang for months at what marine biologists call the White Shark Cafe, frolicking and diving 1,500 feet or more. For decades, we didn’t know much more about what they do there—or why. This year, we should get some answers, thanks to a pair of saildrones.
Continue reading… “This Armada of Saildrones Could Conquer the Ocean”
Researchers at Newcastle University have been able to 3D-print a biocompatible corneal framework using a new gel formulations that “keeps the stem cells alive whilst producing a material which is stiff enough to hold its shape but soft enough to be squeezed out the nozzle of a 3D printer.”
There is a significant shortage of corneas available to transplant, with 10 million people worldwide requiring surgery to prevent corneal blindness as a result of diseases such as trachoma, an infectious eye disorder,” wrote the researchers. “In addition, almost 5 million people suffer total blindness due to corneal scarring caused by burns, lacerations, abrasion or disease.”
Continue reading… “Researchers create the first 3D-printed corneas”
Scottish addiction treatment center Castle Craig Hospital has launched a program geared to help people who are addicted to buying and selling cryptocurrencies online.
In its online guide, the hospital describes the addictive behavior as similar to that of other online addictions, and offers practical advice as well as longterm therapeutic treatments.
Since bitcoin first appeared nearly a decade ago, cryptocurrencies have transformed internet culture. Online, crypto traders and blockchain enthusiasts eagerly swap anecdotes regarding market speculation and upcoming token offerings, and the crypto culture has spilled out into the world at large as well, inspiring thousands of summits, meet-up groups, and conferences worldwide.
A Waymo self-driving vehicle is parked outside the Alphabet company’s offices where its been testing autonomous vehicles in Arizona.
New study calls on Goverment to take active role in making most of opportunities present.
As many as 100,000 high-end direct and indirect jobs could be created in Ireland by 2030 as driverless cars become the norm, a new report claims.
The study suggests the State has the potential to become a leading global hub for companies developing connected and autonomous vehicle technology.
Continue reading… “Ireland could gain 100,000 jobs by embracing driverless technology”
A fleet of driverless street cleaning vehicles has begun trial operations at an industrial park in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai-based news portal The Paper on Friday.
The convoy, which includes a 6m-long truck and a 3m-long minibus, has been designed and developed by Autowise.ai, a Shanghai technology company, for different road widths.
Continue reading… “Driverless street cleaning trucks begin trial operations in Shanghai”
Less than a month after Uber’s fatal accident in Arizona, California regulators issue a proposal for a pilot test of passenger-carrying autonomous vehicles.
California may start allowing self-driving cars, like this one for Lyft, to carry passengers without a human driver behind the wheel.
Regulators in California are moving closer to allowing driverless cars to carry passengers, even without a backup driver present.
Continue reading… “California eyes driverless car testing with passengers”
High-tech cycling platform creates a connected community.
At Peloton, Robin Arzon, vp, fitness programming, says classes are known as ‘shows’ and instructors as ‘talent.’
Until a month ago, I had never taken a spin class. While friends and colleagues made regular pilgrimages to boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle or Flywheel, the allure of sweating buckets and feverishly cycling en masse to the beat of Beyoncé as an all-too enthusiastic instructor shouts encouragement about “feeling the burn, baby!” eluded me.
Mostly, I prefer to exercise alone.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is convinced that one day “we are going to have to leave this planet.” And he believes that his Blue Origin space company can help make it happen.
Outlining his ambitious vision at the Space Development Conference in Los Angeles during a recent on-stage chat with GeekWire‘s Alan Boyle, Bezos said that, ideally, Blue Origin would collaborate with NASA or ESA, Europe’s space agency, to move toward his goal, though he said that if that doesn’t work out, his company would go it alone.
Continue reading… “Prime delivery, straight from the moon? Bezos dreams of heavy industry in space”
The original Volkswagen microbus went out of production in 2013 due to safety concerns. Volkswagen
Volkswagen is revamping its iconic microbus with the I.D. Buzz.
The vehicle will be fully electric and hit dealerships in 2022.
It will feature a customizable interior and tech features that will eventually move the car toward autonomous driving.
A 609-acre California coastal community, Walden Monterey, serves as a respite for those needing to recharge their batteries — especially the region’s leaders in tech.
The enclave’s founder, Nick Jekogian, invites potential homeowners to visit the property and stay in portable homes, called “roving rooms,” to truly experience the sustainable, outdoor-centric lifestyle the community has to offer.
Now, a new unit, called the Galini Sleeping Pod, will be used to house prospective buyers as they consider making a more permanent purchase of the land.
Developed by the company behind the Vespa scooter, Gita is a mobile carrier designed to make mobility and transportation easier and more efficient for pedestrians.
A compartment within Gita can hold 44 pounds of cargo such as backpack, a briefcase, or any other items that make walking cumbersome.
The robot uses cameras to track the legs of the person it’s following, memorizing routes as they go.
Seventy two years after launching the iconic Vespa scooter, Italian motor vehicle company Piaggio has unveiled its newest creation: A robot designed to help you get around without a car at all.
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.