The notorious traffic of Los Angeles could generate electricity via crystals in the road surface. A pilot study aims to replicate existing set-ups that turn footsteps into power. The study will try to exploit piezoelectricity, which takes advantage of the fact that mechanical stress applied to some materials including crystals will build up an electric […]
Facebook reports that artificial intelligence bots can not only learn to negotiate, but can do so while using what could be described as a “non-human language.” The study from the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research lab aimed to get chatbots to use conversations to negotiate. One negotiation involved splitting up a set of objects (books, hats […]
Here’s a interesting video from Youtuber “Real Engineering” explaing how GPS technology works and why the US military made it free-to-use. [Real Engineering]
Automation in the Information Age is different. Next step, the universal basic income from Star Trek. [Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell]
Logitech has produced a mouse pad with a built-in wireless charger. One downside is that it’s a proprietary technology. Seeing your wireless mouse run out of battery is certainly one of modern computing’s annoyances, often prompting the realization that you didn’t quite get around to recharging a spare battery and you’re going to have to […]
Dutch householders could have showers heated by computer servers under a creative, if potentially problematic project. The idea of Nerdalize is to bring together two problems: the need to extract heat from servers to keep them running well, and the need to heat homes. The theory is that combining the two will save money and […]
Scientists and engineers are taking folding into the future! [SciShow]
The stock market is the latest cooperative game for Twitch viewers, with one brave software developer putting up $50,000 for users to invest with their collective wisdom. While it’s primarily a platform for watching others play games, Twitch has had several experiments for collective play, including users coordinating chat room commands to complete an entire […]
A new Kickstarter project aims to make a marble run game that acts as a mechanical computer. Turning Tumble involves players solving logic puzzles by constructing a pathway with six different parts. The game will ship with 51 puzzles to solve, detailed through a graphic novel storyline, though there’s scope for future expansions and user-created […]
One of the men who created Android has unveiled a high-end phone. But at $699, Andy Rubin’s ‘Essential’ phone seems somewhat misnamed. The most notable different feature is a modular element. It’s not quite the Lego-like design that Google explored before abandoning, but rather a new form of expansion port. It’s two magnetic clips on […]