Technology

AI Is Everywhere — Including Countless Applications You’ve Likely Never Heard Of

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere. Currently, generative AI, in particular — tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, Gemini (previously Bard), and others — is at the peak of hype. But as an academic discipline, this technology has been around for much longer than just the last couple of years. When it comes to real-world applications, many ...

Troy Oakes

Is Your Phone Spying on You? Delete These 17 Apps Immediately

Have you ever considered that freeware apps on your smartphone might monitor you in real-time? Experts point out that three data types in your phone — location tracking, camera access, and email addresses — are the most severe privacy vulnerabilities. Are you aware of your phone’s surveillance? Symantec, an internet security company based in the ...

Mikel Davis

Illustration of a man with a key standing next to a giant cell phone with a padlock that has an eye looking out from the screen.

Underground Nuclear Tests Can Now Be Detected 99 Percent of the Time

Since the first detonation of an atomic bomb in 1945, more than 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have been conducted by eight countries: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Groups such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization are constantly on the lookout for new tests. However, ...

Troy Oakes

A nuclear blast.

Virtual Reality (VR) Grooming Is an Increasing Danger. How Can Parents Keep Children Safe?

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are increasingly popular among adults and children. They are part of extended reality environments, which “enable ever more realistic and immersive experiences.” VR provides entry into computer-generated 3D worlds and games with different environments and interactions. Sometimes, this is loosely referred to as the “metaverse.” Most VR headsets have a lower ...

Troy Oakes

Three children wearing VR headsets.

Apple’s New Vision Pro Has Big Ambitions

Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset — which the company hopes is a “revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment” — that begins shipping to the public (in the United States) later this week. Critics have doubted the appeal of the face-worn computer, which “seamlessly blends ...

Troy Oakes

A woman wearing the Apple Vision Pro.

Neuralink Has Put its First Chip in a Human Brain. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Earlier this week, Elon Musk announced his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, implanted a device in a human for the first time. The company’s PRIME study, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year, is testing a brain implant for “people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts.” In the past few ...

Troy Oakes

Neuralink chip.

How AI Is Transforming Earthquake Predictions

With the rapid intensification of natural disasters in recent years brought by the worsening climate change, scientists and experts are cramming to create technologies that could predict the onslaught of natural calamities to help people better prepare and limit the destruction they bring. There are now expectations that artificial intelligence (AI) will one day be ...

Viena Abdon

Seismographic equipment recording earthquake activity on Hawaii.

Why Are Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta Facing Antitrust Lawsuits and Huge Fines?

Following a lengthy investigation, the United States Justice Department is set to file a lawsuit against Apple for potentially breaching antitrust laws. The department alleges Apple is using hardware and software limitations that make it harder for rival companies to compete with iPhones and iPads. If the filing goes ahead, it will mean each of ...

Troy Oakes

Apple logo on the outside of the Apple Store in Beijing, China.

Meet the Robot that Carves Marble Sculptures Just Like Michelangelo

Around 500 years ago, Michelangelo redefined sculpting, setting a new standard among artists and sculptors. His statues are a marvelous statement of innovation, courage, and reinvention. Today, 500 years later, Giacomo Massari hopes to revolutionize how we view and make art. Massari and his team have developed a robot that can replicate the works of ...

Nathan Machoka

Robotor carving a sculpture.