Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 893)

DARPA's Subterranean Challenge is kicking off today, and robotics teams from across the nation are mapping underground environments with robots.
Robotics

"If there is life in the solar system, these are the most likely places to harbor it."

Now there's an AI assistant to help DJs pick songs for their sets in real time. It's unclear what, exactly, is left for the DJ to do.
Artificial Intelligence

It's like going to a concert where someone just plugged in their iPod Shuffle.

Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster
Advanced Transport

Thunderstorms and rotting leaves did a number on the road's solar panels.

It turns out that the NSA, the secretive intelligence agency, uses the same version of the messaging app Slack as your office.
Future Society

The government agency uses an off-the-shelf messaging app.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) set out with an ambitious task, to build a robodog which combined all the best parts of Siri, 3D-printing, and robots like Boston Dynamics SpotMini.
Boston Dynamics

It looks like it's wearing the eyes of its last victim.

To carry their dirt bikes into the desert, an electric car conversion company chopped off the back of a damaged Tesla Model S to turn it into a pickup.
Tesla

"Epiphany! Let's go chop off a Tesla."

For the past few months, UPS has sent giant self-driving trucks on the roads to deliver cargo loads between Phoenix, Tucson, and Arizona.
Self-Driving Vehicles

The company announced a minority stake in an autonomous trucking startup.

Elon Musk has said that he hopes Neuralink will help people keep pace with future AI. But psychologist Susan Scheider warns that would be ill-advised.
Brain

"You could augment your intelligence with chips, but there will be a point at which you end your life."

Smart oven maker June Ovens is in the news this week, thanks to reports of their smart ovens allegedly turning themselves on overnight.
Internet Of Things

The company's explanation: sometimes you hit the wrong button on your phone. And, you know, accidentally start your oven.

Chinese search engine Sogou is creating AI author avatars to narrate the writers' books in both their voices and their likenesses
Artificial Intelligence

The tech could save writers from weeks of recording sessions.

A startup developing a marijuana breathalyzer just secured funding through Y Combinator, one of the world's top accelerators.
Robots and Machines

And it now has the backing of top accelerator Y Combinator.

Fraternities at Unversity of Texas are signing contracts with Tinder or Bumble to promote the app on campus in exchange for sponsored parties.
Future Society

People need to have an account to get into some parties.

Amazon claims its Rekognition software can now detect fear on a person's face, as well as provide a better estimate of their age.
Artificial Intelligence

The facial recognition tech has also gotten better at estimating ages, Amazon says.

Scientists suggest that Jupiter may have collided with and absorbed a giant protoplanet when the solar system was forming some 4.5 billion years ago.
Science & Energy

Did the solar system's largest planet eat one of its siblings?

Comcast customers are finding it harder and harder to stay within their data caps as streaming technology and quality improves.
Science & Energy

"The first month I blew through the cap like it was nothing."

Astronomers have reported finding eight new repeating fast radio bursts, potential alien signals, brining the total number of known repeaters up to 10.
Science & Energy

The number of known repeating FRBs just jumped from two to 10.

YouTubers who discuss LGBTQ issues are suing YouTube after finding that their videos get demonetized or age restricted on the site.
Future Society

The lawsuit says YouTube unfairly targets the LGBTQ community.

The FAA is banning anyone from bringing an Apple recalled MacBook on flights — though it's not clear how it plans to enforce the ban.
Robots and Machines

But its plans to enforce the ban aren't clear.

British Airways is testing a range of new VR entertainment features for select first class flights between London's Heathrow airport and JFK in New York.
Virtual Reality

Now first class passengers won't even have to look at the economy class proles.

A report from Cambridge University warns of the risk of unregulated bioweapons that could target specific races by their DNA.
Science & Energy

That could mean weapons that only target specific ethnic groups.