Consumer Tech
The technology of the next decade could remake the modern world, from AI agents to virtual worlds and beyond. The real question is what today’s gadgets mean for tomorrow’s world.
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How tech is turning science into a hobby
From astronomy to video games, consumer technology is helping people pursue their interests while also advancing community science.
You’re thinking of the metaverse all wrong, says Matthew Ball
Rumors of the metaverse’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Meet Thresh, the world’s first professional gamer
Was Elon Musk any good at Quake? “He’s a legit gamer,” but…
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“Muscle shirt” increases arm endurance by more than 200%
The Myoshirt acts like “wearable muscles,” using sensors and AI to help people with upper-limb impairments move their arms.
Wearable tech: eating and playing our way to a longer lifespan
Wearable devices can detect the specific molecules in food and our body’s response to it, allowing us to make better dietary decisions.
Google has not created sentient AI — yet
Google can make AI seem sentient, but the AI has no understanding of what it is saying. But humans are easily fooled by conversational AI.
Future tech could 3D print objects inside your body
Direct sound printing could one day allow doctors to build medical implants inside patients’ bodies instead of surgically placing them.
Virginia launches world’s biggest 3D-printed housing project
Construction company Alquist 3D plans to build 200 3D-printed houses over the next 5 years through Project Virginia.
Unreal Engine may power the metaverse
Epic’s popular Unreal Engine is on its fifth iteration, and the tools it contains may be especially helpful for metaverse developers.
New surgery implants living, 3D-printed body parts
A 3D-printed outer ear made from the patient’s own cells has been implanted.
Augmented reality will give us superpowers
Virtual and augmented reality have had false starts, but AR eyewear will soon replace the smartphone as our interface for digital content.
Could a former NASA scientist’s “sunlight glasses” protect your vision?
A former NASA scientist has co-developed a pair of glasses designed to prevent myopia by glowing in a precise wavelength of visible light.
3D-printed artificial coral reefs could save coastal fish
A new method for designing and 3D printing custom artificial coral reefs could make them more accurate stand-ins for the natural kind.
NASA uses “holoportation” in space for first time
Holoportation tech developed by Microsoft virtually sent a flight surgeon to the ISS to talk to an astronaut.
New exoskeleton lets you enter the boxing ring as a robot
Japanese company Skeletonics has developed a new exoskeleton that lets you enter the boxing ring as a nine-foot-tall robot.
Breakthrough artificial fingertip mimics our sense of touch
A new artificial fingertip replicates humans’ sense of touch by mimicking the microscopic anatomy of our fingertips.
Man builds his own bionic hand out of melted plastic bottles
After creating a bionic hand for himself, Peruvian engineer Enzo Romero launched a company to sell the low-cost prosthetics to others.
Metaverse real estate prices are booming. This is why.
People are paying millions of dollars to buy plots of pixellated land in virtual worlds, even though they doesn’t fully exist yet.
These innovative projects are tackling homelessness around the world
It’s been estimated that at least 150 million people, which is about 2% of the world’s population, are homeless.
Nimo smart glasses are like a PC for your eyes
India-based startup Nimo Planet is now accepting reservations for its Nino smart glasses, which let wearers view six virtual screens.
3D-printed prosthetic helps big bird beat cancer
After removing part of a great hornbill bird’s casque, Florida veterinarians replaced it with a 3D-printed prosthetic.
A fabric that “hears” your heart’s sounds
An MIT team has designed an “acoustic fabric” to convert sound vibrations into electrical signals.
Video games for mental health are coming
New startup DeepWell Digital Therapeutics is developing video games to help treat mental health disorders.
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