child safety, new tech, virtual reality

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.

Australia Plans to Regulate ‘High-Risk’ AI. Here’s How to Do That Successfully

Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic announced the Australian government’s response to the Safe and Responsible AI in Australia consultation. The response addresses feedback from last year’s consultation on artificial intelligence (AI). It received more than 500 submissions, noting “excitement for the opportunities” of AI tools, but also raising concerns about potential risks ...

Troy Oakes

AI digital business.

Japan Is Now the 5th Country to Land on the Moon

Japan landed its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM, craft on the surface of our satellite on Jan. 20, 2024. Despite a power issue with the lander, the event holds political and technical importance. It’s the country’s first lunar landing — making it only the fifth country in the world to successfully land ...

Troy Oakes

Japan's SLIM lander.

Lockheed Martin Reveals X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft

NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft. Using this one-of-a-kind experimental airplane, NASA aims to gather data that could revolutionize air travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. “This is a major accomplishment made possible only through ...

Troy Oakes

Lockheed Martin's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the apron outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility at dawn in Palmdale, California.

Even Experts Struggle to Tell Which Social Media Posts Are Evidence-Based

The debate on how to combat social media misinformation is as relevant as ever. In recent years, we’ve seen medical misinformation spreading alongside COVID, and political misinformation impacting the outcome of elections and national referendums. Experts have largely placed the impetus to stop misinformation on three groups: social media users, government regulators, and social media ...

Troy Oakes

Instagram social media.