Researchers say they have developed a machine that can translate our thoughts
The astonishing machine will analyse what you are thinking and display it as text
Scientists hope that the machine can be used by people who are unable to speak
Researchers are developing a sustainable concrete alternative made of desert sand
The strength of bricks and concrete with half the carbon footprint
Sand is the hidden ingredient of design. It’s used to make glass and computer chips, and to bulk and strengthen the concrete used in many of the buildings around us. Though it seems like an abundant resource, sand miners are depleting the gritty, building-grade sand faster than it can be replenished, which has led to a shortage that puts both the environment and industry at risk.
73 Percent of Millennials are Willing to Spend More Money on This 1 Type of Product
It’s not even close to avocado toast.
In 2015, Nielsen polled 30,000 consumers in 60 countries around the world. They wanted to know more about what influences how people feel about brands, and how those feelings impact buying behavior.
One overwhelming conclusion of the report? That across the board, consumers are willing to pay extra for one thing: sustainability.
How social media can reveal overlooked drug reactions
When patients connect online, they often share information that reveals how treatments work in the real world.
When Allison Ruddick was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in October 2014, she turned to the world of hashtags.
After her initial diagnosis it wasn’t clear if the cancer had metastasized, so she was in for a nerve-wracking wait, she says. She wanted outside advice. “But they don’t really give you a handbook, so you search kind of anywhere for answers,” Ruddick says. “Social media was one of the first places I went.”
Continue reading… “How social media can reveal overlooked drug reactions”
The rise of strategic narrative in marketing
It’s no secret that a person who talks endlessly about themselves is a bore. For years, businesses have been guilty of this “look at me” approach when it comes to positioning and messaging. Mission statements, inward value manifestos and the overuse of self-serving superlatives result in a dead end of unfocused and uninspiring brand messaging.
But the use of narrative in marketing is quietly and slowly gaining traction. While storytelling has helped move the needle away from traditional messaging approaches, narrative addresses the more strategic role industry vision and leadership play in the growth and success of an organization.
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Perfect prams for perfect parents: the rise of the bougie buggy
How the rise of the luxury pram capitalised on the status anxiety of a new generation of parents
Before she had a baby, Kari Boiler never noticed what kinds of buggies were on the streets. But when Boiler – an American then working for an advertising agency in Amsterdam – became pregnant with her first child in 2001, she realised that the city’s pavements were dominated by a single buggy: the Frog, a sleek, futuristic stroller designed by a tiny Dutch company called Bugaboo. “It was all over Amsterdam – you didn’t see another stroller,” she said.
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Elon Musk’s first Tesla Solar Roof is here and it looks amazing
Elon Musk’s house runs on solar. The Tesla CEO made the announcement during Wednesday’s second quarter 2017 earnings call, where he revealed that both himself and Jeffrey B. Straubel, the company’s chief technology officer, have installed solar roof tiles on their houses.
“We have installed and working the Solar Roof tiles,” Musk told investors during the conference call.
Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s first Tesla Solar Roof is here and it looks amazing”
Chinese police foil drone-flying phone smugglers at Hong Kong border
Dozens of high-tech phone smugglers have been apprehended by Chinese police, who twigged to the scheme to send refurbished iPhones into the country from Hong Kong via drone — but not the way you might think.
China’s Legal Daily reported the news (and Reuters noted shortly after) following a police press conference; it’s apparently the first cross-border drone-based smuggling case, so likely of considerable interest.
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FCC approves SpaceX plan for 4,425-satellite broadband network
SpaceX has a green light from the FCC to launch a network of thousands of satellites blanketing the globe with broadband. And you won’t have too long to wait — on a cosmic scale, anyway. Part of the agreement is that SpaceX launch half of its proposed satellites within six years.
The approval of SpaceX’s application was not seriously in doubt after last month’s memo from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who was excited at the prospect of the first U.S.-based company being authorized to launch a constellation like this.
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The new internet from space
If they make it through regulatory approvals and meet financial projections, the new satellites will create new industries
A new era of global communications is on the launch pad. Eleven companies have applied to the Federal Communications Commission and other telecom regulators to beam broadband internet from clouds of more than 15,000 new satellites. Not since the telegraph replaced the Pony Express has communication technology seen such a leap in capacity and promise.
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Incredible Sahara Forest Project to generate fresh water, solar power and crops in African desert
Can you imagine being able to produce enough water in the Sahara to grow crops there? Can you imagine harnessing sufficient quantities of solar power to supply electricity to cities in Africa and cities in Europe? Can you imagine producing a sustainable bio-fuel that doesn’t impact on world food supplies? Charlie Paton, Michael Pawlyn and Bill Watts can and what’s more they can imagine all these happening in the same place at the same time.
This week this trio of visionaries launched the Sahara Forest Project: their proposal to combine two innovative technologies, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Seawater Greenhouses, to produce renewable energy, water and food in an area of desert known to be one of the hottest places on earth.
This Silicon Valley startup has quietly raised $500 million to help diagnose cancer using controllers
Health and Commerce
Since its debut six years ago, Redwood City-based startup Auris Health has quietly raised $500 million to develop a series of tools designed to innovate surgical robotics technology.
The company’s latest product, Monarch, is a controller-operated robotic camera that allows physicians to visualize the inside of the human body.
The technology, which was approved by the FDA earlier this month, could become a key tool in helping physicians diagnose lung cancer early on.
