NASA recently tested drones to serve as unmanned air traffic controllers, according to Recode.
The tests, which were conducted at the Reno, Nevada, airport, are part of a larger research project spearheaded by NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop an unmanned air traffic control system.
Continue reading… “NASA is testing air traffic controller drones”
Using state driver’s license data, US law enforcement agencies have created a huge network of ID photographs that can be searched using facial-recognition software, raising legal and privacy concerns about its use.
Photographs of more than 117 million adult US citizens are now part of the “perpetual line-up,” according to a report by that name published Tuesday by the Center on Privacy and Technology at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Continue reading… “Police face-tracking network covers nearly 50% of US adults”
How much time should kids be allowed to stare into their screens like zombies? New guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics upturns conventional thinking on the matter, showing that a sweeping one-size-fits-all approach is not the right way for parents to go about limiting their children’s screen time.
Continue reading… “Limiting Children’s Screen Time: We Were Wrong”
If a tree falls in the Amazon, but you don’t capture it on Snapchat, did it actually fall? I had the thought while hiking through the rainforest, on the third day of a digital detox that was slowly killing me. What’s the point of eating a live worm or luring a monkey onto my shoulder if I can’t post the photos to prove it?
Continue reading… “‘Unplugged’ Tourism Is Booming Because We’re So Addicted to Our Gadgets”
AT&T is using drones to conduct cell tower inspections and find birds’ nests that can potentially affect cell coverage, reports Recode.
The telco provider is doing this as part of a new drone initiative it announced in July.
Continue reading… “AT&T using drones to inspect cell towers and find bird nests”
Leanna Garfield/Business Insider
If you’re an amateur cook, roasting a rack of lamb or baking fresh bread in an oven can feel daunting.
New parents rejoice. An innovative baby sleeper aims to teach parents more about their infants and become a “member of the family.”
Continue reading… “$1,150 crib automatically calms crying babies back to sleep in minutes”
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Plowing snow, mowing the lawn, raking leaves. It’s backbreaking work.
This season, a robot may have you covered. It’s called Kobi, and for $3,999 it can take over people’s yard work.
Continue reading… “This winter you can buy a robot to plow your driveway”
Stretched, trijet 50-seat configuration to be tested by subscale supersonic demonstrator
Guy Norris Los Angeles
Boom Time
More than half a century after development of the Concorde was launched, progress toward economically viable supersonic airliners has proved elusive. But now a Silicon Valley-backed startup says the ingredients for a successful, small, faster-than-sound airliner are in place, thanks to a new wave of enabling technology and a market primed with the need for speed.
Since first unveiling plans earlier this year for a 40-seat, twin-engine, supersonic transport, Denver-based Boom Technology has revised and fine-tuned the design that will cruise at Mach 2.2 for the same ticket price as subsonic business class. The aircraft has since been stretched to seat up to 50 and is now reconfigured as a trijet to permit immediate use on long overwater routes.
Continue reading… “Potential Mach 2.2 Airliner Market Pegged At $260 Billion”
A team of researchers from Belgium think that they are close to extending the anticipated end of Moore’s Law, and they didn’t do it with a supercomputer. Using an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm called reservoir computing, combined with another algorithm called backpropagation, the team developed a neuro-inspired analog computer that can train itself and improve at whatever task it’s performing.
Continue reading… “Self-Learning AI: New Neuro-Inspired Computer Trains Itself”
Chinese-backed Atieva plans to debut the Atvus sedan before the end of the year.
Over the last few months, we’ve been entertained by Edna, a Mercedes Metris work van with a 900-hp electric drivetrain developed by Chinese-backed electric car company Atieva. Edna notably beat a Ferrari 458 Speciale, Tesla Model S, and Nissan GT-R in a drag race, which has generated excitement around its mysterious creators.
Continue reading… “This is The First Car That Could Challenge Tesla’s Electric Dominance”
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Instructor Matt Dunlevy probably didn’t have to remind his University of North Dakota students that they’d be sharing the airspace as they stood in a field preparing their drones for flight as the sun set one recent afternoon.
Continue reading… “Students in North Dakota Learn How to Build Drone Businesses”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.