46778579
submission
kkleiner writes
"A new service called Paytouch wants to link credit cards to a fingerprint scanner on a smartphone. Using a very low electric shock to detect pulse and finger ridges, the service promises to eliminate the need to carry around credit cards, moving us closer to a walletless society. Yet, fingerprint scanners can be fooled. Perhaps this kind of 'security' is really about slowing down or demotivating theft, but is that sufficient in the digital age?"Link to Original Source
46710843
submission
kkleiner writes
"A startup called Matternet is building a network of quadcopter drones to deliver vital goods to remote areas and emergency supplies to disaster-stricken areas. The installation of solar-powered fueling station and an operating system to allow for communications with local aviation authorities will allow the network to be available around the clock and in the farthest reaches of the world."Link to Original Source
46677799
submission
kkleiner writes
"The FDA is finalizing its review of the antibacterial agent triclosan common to many soaps and other health/household products after four decades of use. Recent studies suggest the chemical may be harmful to animals and could interfere with the human immune system along with increasing the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The agency has been slow to cast a verdict, to much criticism considering its widespread use."Link to Original Source
46648157
submission
kkleiner writes
"Even though facial recognition software has only become available in recent years, the degree of sophistication is ramping up sharply. Now, startup IMRSV has released Cara, a data analytics package for facial recognition or 'perceptive computing platform' that can be used with webcams or smartphone cameras. Not only does it identify physical features such as gender and age, but behaviors like glances and how much attention is being paid to a camera, which is of great interest to advertisers."Link to Original Source
46560175
submission
kkleiner writes
"Rice University professor Moshe Vardi has been evaluating technological progress in computer science and artificial intelligence and has recently concluded that robots will replace most, if not all, human labor by 2045, putting millions out of work. The issue is whether AI enables humans to do more or less. But perhaps the real question about technological unemployment of labor isn't "How will people do nothing?" but "What kind of work will they do instead?""Link to Original Source
46497879
submission
kkleiner writes
"The first NeuroGaming Conference and Expo took place at the beginning of May to showcase the convergent technologies that are paving the way toward gaming with your mind. Tech news has been dominated with stories about Google Glass and the Oculus Rift, which was on display for attendees to test out. Other technologies that utilize EEG are opening up possibilities of a controller-free gaming experience into virtual realities with unlimited potential."Link to Original Source
46347365
submission
kkleiner writes
"The bank-centric world of finance looks to be the next industry primed for disruption as peer-to-peer lending is becoming seriously legit. Having already funded $1.7 billion in loans, Lending Club recently announced the purchase of 125 million shares by Google and Foundation Capital in secondary markets. Peer-to-peer lending has only been around for five years, but the service is poised to become more widespread with the growth of the web and mobile technologies."Link to Original Source
46307419
submission
kkleiner writes
"A toddler born without a trachea has received the first completely fabricated trachea that utilizes stem cells enabling her to live a normal life. Previously, related implants relied on a donor trachea that would act as a scaffold for the patient's stem cells. In this case, the scaffold is synthetic and made from nonabsorbable nanofibers, while the stem cells were harvested from the girl's bone marrow."Link to Original Source
46238571
submission
kkleiner writes
"The modern mailing system can seem like magic, but the systems in place to reliably get boxes from A to B is a marvel of logistics. Now, a Dutch designer named Ruben van der Vleuten has unravelled the mystery for non-postal employees by installing a camera within a parcel to record the journey."Link to Original Source
46273949
submission
kkleiner writes
"The Glowing Plant campaign on Kickstarter has already raised close to a quarter of a million dollars, well past its original target of $65k. Now the team has set their sights on using the same gene compiler technology to generate a glowing rose. Additionally, the team has committed to making the project open source to benefit others in the DIY science community interested in incorporating Luciferase into other plant species."Link to Original Source
46051057
submission
kkleiner writes
"A recent report from International Energy Agency delivers some dire news: despite 20 years of efforts toward clean energy and a decade of growth in renewable energy, energy production remains as "dirty" as ever due to worldwide reliance on fossil fuels. With the global demand for energy expected to rise by 25 percent in the next 10 years, a renewed effort toward cleaner energy is desperately needed to avoid detrimental effects to the environment and public health."Link to Original Source
45967397
submission
kkleiner writes
"For the last 30 years, automation has enabled U.S. manufacturing output to increase and lift profits without having to add any traditional jobs. Now, in the last decade, nearly a third of manufacturing jobs are gone. As manufacturing goes the way of agriculture, the job market must shift into new types of work lest mass technological unemployment and civil unrest overtake these beneficial gains."Link to Original Source
45934335
submission
kkleiner writes
"A team has launched a crowdsourcing campaign to develop sustainable natural lighting by using a genetically modified version of the flowering plant Arabidopsis. Using the luciferase gene, the enzyme responsible for making fireflies glow, the researchers will design, print, and transform the genes into the target plant. The project, which was recently launched on Kickstarter, has already raised over $100k with over a month left to go."Link to Original Source
45834647
submission
kkleiner writes
"A new device will keep a liver alive outside of the human body for up to 24 hours. Developed at Oxford, the OrganOx circulates oxygenated red bloods cells and nutrients through the liver while maintaining the proper temperature. Doctors estimate that this new technique could double the number of livers available, saving the lives of thousands who die every year awaiting transplant."Link to Original Source
45762461
submission
kkleiner writes
"Recently developed noodle-making robots have now been put into operation in over 3,000 restaurants in China. Invented by a noodle restaurant owner, each unibrow-sporting robot currently costs 10,000 yuan ($1,600), which is only three months wages for an equivalent human noodle cook. As the cost of the robot continues to drop, more noodle shops are bound to displace human workers for the tirelessly working cheaper robots."Link to Original Source