The Technical Tools

Credit: Zephyr/Science Photo Library A day after news broke of a Chinese scientist who claims to have helped make the world’s first genome-edited babies, researchers fear the startling announcement will hinder their efforts to safely translate gene-editing technology into treatments. As scientists gathered for the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong…

From smart displays to 4K TVs for less than $300. This article is published through a partnership with New York Media’s Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all…

For a CEO who insists his electric vehicle startup doesn’t want to be Tesla, Rivian founder RJ Scaringe can sound a lot like Elon Musk. Just weeks before unveiling Rivian’s first vehicles — an all-electric pickup and a seven-seater SUV — at the LA Auto Show last month, Scaringe promised an impressive new battery technology…

Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading! binspamdupenotthebestofftopicslownewsdaystalestupid freshfunnyinsightfulinterestingmaybe offtopicflamebaittrollredundantoverrated insightfulinterestinginformativefunnyunderrated descriptive typodupeerror 105377728 story NYPD Deploying Drone for First Time To Secure New Year’s Party (bloomberg.com) 47 Posted by msmash on Sunday December 30, 2018 @02:02PM from the up-next dept. New York City police will deploy…

Artificial Intelligence If you’re an entrepreneur in the healthcare field, you need to prepare: AI is coming to your segment soon. Image credit: metamorworks | Getty Images Toby Nwazor Contributor Consumer Goods Entrepreneur, Freelance Writer December 18, 2018 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Technology is changing fast, and the…

New analysis of artifacts found at a South China archaeological site shows that sophisticated tool technology emerged in East Asia earlier than previously thought. A study by an international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, determines that carved stone tools, also known as Levallois cores, were used in Asia 80,000 to 170,000…

From cryptocurrency to decentralized applications, the blockchain buzz continues to grow and has tapped into various industries including finance, gaming, social media, you name it. In particular, in the social media industry, decentralized technology promises to offer a new approach to protect data privacy and improve content regulation. Even though the transition from centralized to…

Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading! binspamdupenotthebestofftopicslownewsdaystalestupid freshfunnyinsightfulinterestingmaybe offtopicflamebaittrollredundantoverrated insightfulinterestinginformativefunnyunderrated descriptive typodupeerror 105297482 story Some Chinese Companies Are Giving Employees Incentives For Buying Huawei Devices or Just Giving Them One and Boycotting Apple (nikkei.com) 118 Posted by msmash on Tuesday December 25, 2018 @07:30PM from the…

Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead.ImageCreditAl Drago for The New York Times1. A damning turn for President Trump and his associates:Federal prosecutors say he directed illegal payments during the presidential campaign to help prevent a possible sex scandal.The president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has said Mr. Trump, above, directed payments to…

I argued in my recent post What’s Next for Podcasting? that we’re at a pivot point where podcasting is becoming a mainstream content format for all types of shows and creators as Hollywood enters the fray. There’s a surge of interest by both creatives and businesspeople in podcasts right now, so I’ve compiled a reading…

Six years later, it’s still fun to make fun of Google Glass. A reference to Google Glass is shorthand for hubris, foolishness, a tech company completely missing the mark on what regular human beings like. Glass represents everything we love to mock about Silicon Valley — a bunch of nerds making ugly products that nobody…

Fitness trackers and heart-rate monitors are all well and good, but if you want to track activity inside the body, the solutions aren’t nearly as convenient. Iota Biosciences wants to change that with millimeter-wide sensors that can live more or less permanently in your body and transmit wirelessly what they detect, and a $15 million…

ImageThe Crescent City Connection over the Mississippi River in New Orleans.CreditCreditMarka/UIG, via Getty ImagesNEW ORLEANS — How do the greatest cities succeed?The question could not come at a more critical time, as cities around the world face challenges — and opportunities — unimagined in human history. By some estimates, 68 percent of the world’s population…

Gadgets Now | Aabhas Sharma | Dec 4, 2018, 07.25 AM IST1 / 27The A to Z of technology in 2018 Technology is one industry that throws up buzzwords as quickly as Honor launches smartphones. Basically, it happens so routinely that one can’t keep track of what’s actually going on. So here we take a…

Every morning throughout New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC, a fleet of black vans emblazoned with bright blue logos take to the streets. If it weren’t for the Via logo, they’d blend right in to the fabric of other ride-hail vehicles, personal cars, and taxis. But under the surface, Via is hoping it can…

Over the last year or so, wireless providers all over the world have put plans in motion to begin phased rollouts of the next-generation of wireless connectivity known as 5G. The technology, offers vast gains in throughput, data latency, and capacity compared to current wireless networks. It is expected to finally unleash the true potential…

binspamdupenotthebestofftopicslownewsdaystalestupid freshfunnyinsightfulinterestingmaybe offtopicflamebaittrollredundantoverrated insightfulinterestinginformativefunnyunderrated descriptive typodupeerror 105293752 story UK Now Has Systems To Combat Drones (bbc.com) 128 Posted by msmash on Tuesday December 25, 2018 @11:02AM from the once-bitten-twice-shy dept. Detection systems are now able to be deployed throughout the UK to combat the threat of drones, ministers say. It follows three days of disruption…

Home decor brand Parachute makes $150 bed sheets and is backed by more than $44 million from venture capital firms. But when it comes to marketing, the startup wants to make sure that every dollar of its advertising spend is working as effectively as possible. Parachute is one of a growing number of direct-to-consumer brands…

Still wet from a swim, I placed my finger on the digital crown of an Apple Watch and took an ECG reading of my heart. Or tried to. The squiggly red line the test produced was—and these are technical medical terms—weird and messy. The ECG, or electrocardiogram, was inconclusive “due to a poor recording.” First…

New York TodayImageWomen make up only 22 percent of New York’s City Council.CreditCreditHolly Pickett for The New York TimesWeather: Chilly and clear, high of 39. Likewise tomorrow, then a chance of flurries Thursday.Alternate-side parking: in effect till Christmas.‘Gender equity’ on the City CouncilIn politics, 2018 has been called the Year of the Woman.Nationwide, more women…

Photo: Mario Aguilar (Gizmodo)A new app from a Latvian outfit called Sonarworks claims it can tune music to play perfectly through specific headphone models. So whether you’re using AirPods or a swanky pair of $900 Auduze LCD-2s, you’ll hear the same exact mix. Could the future of making music sound good be an app that…

But after decades of shimmering tubes, Airstream is changing things up with its latest offering, the fiberglass encased Nest. Starting at $45,900, the 16-foot, seven-inch rolling home breaks the mold and goes for a minimalist design. The two-tone gray and white Nest might not look like the rest of the Airstream lineup, but inside, it’s…

In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, app developer Leo Sussan was unhappy and looking for a way to become more politically active. So he volunteered for a long-shot congressional candidate, 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in New York City.  Since he was a full-time employee at a real estate startup, Sussan offered his programming skills…

Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. Google’s Pixelbook is my favorite Chromebook ever. It’s thin, light, really fast, and converts into a tablet. It’s the best Chromebook there is, in my opinion. But I secretly prefer a really cheap and crappier Chromebook, like the $150 Hisense…

A top election-security expert explains how the devices might fail us—and whether a better system is possible. An elections official demonstrates a touch-screen voting machine in Fairfax, Virginia, on Oct. 3, 2012. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Democrats Are Gearing Up to Control the House. It’s a Work in Progress. Republicans’ New Strategy to Retain Power Despite Losing…

It’s too late to save the 2018 US midterms from digital deception campaigns – but it’s not too late for democracy. This year’s elections saw an unprecedented rise in political manipulation over social media. In October, the Department of Justice charged a Russian national with running a US-focused political disinformation campaign that had a budget…

Image: Elena Scotti Photos: (Shutterstock)Researchers have that found that 3D printers spew tiny particles into the air as they operate, though the quantity and nature of these potentially toxic aerosols are poorly understood. A new study identifies a startling variety of these emissions, and the conditions under which they’re produced.Previous studies have already shown that…

Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Z (Gen Z) are often overlooked when comparing generational financial trends.Today’s teenagers, called Gen Z, are more frugal about their spending than their Gen X parents.Gen Xers are known for being the biggest spenders across all demographics. Every generation has something that defines them. Whether it’s the historical events…

Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Alex Wong / Getty Images Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the search giant against criticism of political bias, concerns over its data collection policies and worries about efforts in China during a high-profile appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.The leader of the world’s largest search…

Stuart Palley, a professional wildfire photographer here standing in the Angeles National Forest, believes mirrorless cameras will replace conventional SLRs. Stuart Palley Digital photography has changed a lot over the past two decades, with clunky DSLRs giving way to sleek smartphones. Over the next 10 years, expect a similar evolution as the science behind the…

About The Author Knut Melvær is a humanities technologist currently working as Developer Advocate at Sanity.io. He has previously been a technology consultant and developer at … More about Knut November 29, 2018 Leave a comment Using a Structured Content Management System (SCMS) can be a great way to free your content from a paradigm…

New iPads, Alexa laughing at us, and the FBI trying to get backdoors into iPhones —all of these things, and more, happened to Apple and technology in March 2018Apple invites the press to its education launch It’s peculiar how well the events and talking points of one year will usually divide into months but there…

Every year, NYU’s nonprofit, critical activist group AI Now releases a report on the state of AI, with ten recommendations for making machine learning systems equitable, transparent and fail-safe (2016, 2017); this year’s report just published, written by a fantastic panel, including Meredith Whittaker (previously — one of the leaders of the successful googler uprising…

Apple’s Tim Cook isn’t happyReuters Pictures Apple is one of the biggest, most valuable, and most beloved tech companies in the world. Still, not everything the company debuted in 2018 lived up to expectations. We highlighted the most disappointing moments from Apple in 2018. 1. Apple hiked prices on just about everything. Justin Sullivan / Staff…

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. We compare Fire TV and Roku Premiere to help you decide which streaming device is right for you.By Genevieve ScaranoMashable Deals2018-11-13 15:13:06 UTC What’s the best way to unwind? A movie or TV marathon of course! And, with…

Lenovo’s new Yoga C630 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor. Lenovo The best way to sell always-connected PCs is downplaying the actual connectivity part.At least, that’s what Lenovo has found through the past year of selling computers powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon LTE processors, said Matt Bereda, vice president of global consumer marketing for PCs and…

In the Middle East during World War I, the British invented the military technologies and techniques that inspired the tactics of WWII. British machine gunners firing during the Battle of the Somme. Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public…

Photo: Getty ImagesIt’s 2018. A storm is raging down the Eastern coast of the U.S., my smartphone can do almost anything I ask it, and yet I’m still expected to physically haul myself down to the polls.I did—despite what you might believe about millennials. I believe in swiping right on democracy. Still, while slogging through…

On TechnologyImageCreditCreditJon HanFacebook earned more than $5 billion in profit last quarter, and yet it has spent much of 2018 trapped in a defensive crouch. This year was defined by brutal press coverage, internal strife, executive departures and unwanted attention from authorities. The company stands accused of various offenses: degrading politics; empowering despots; leaving users…

Vaping is a popular activity, one that has a real a 21st-century twist to it. The technology behind vaping is relatively new. The consequences of doing it are mysterious and potentially very dangerous. And yet, vaping seems better than what people in the 20th century did to their bodies—namely smoking cigarettes. If you’re doing that…

Can we get a pit crew, too? — Racing tests engineers as well as their designs. Jonathan M. Gitlin – Nov 23, 2018 2:42 pm UTC ChevroletUpdate: It’s Thanksgiving week in the US, and many Ars staffers are currently sleeping off all yesterday’s tryptophan (or Soylent, we guess). So with a new racing season soon…

New York TodayImageAmazon could soon be bringing as many as 25,000 jobs to Long Island City.CreditCreditJoshua Bright for The New York Times(Want to get New York Today by email? Here’s the sign-up.) It’s Tuesday. Good morning!Weather: Rain, mostly this morning, with a high of 51, then gradual clearing. Tomorrow the sun returns.Nice to meet you:…

A 360-degree view of the customer: It’s seen as the holy grail of marketing. But the reality is that with the technology most companies are using today, it’s almost impossible to achieve. And if you can get it, chances are this legendary 360-degree view is a snapshot in time that may or may not reflect…

The IoT technology is not only taking over the industry, but it’s taking over our households, too. The number of IoT devices is rapidly increasing everyday — all with the intent for us be able to control everything at the touch of a button. No problems this far in the IoT home device plan. Everything…

Virtual Reality (VR) holds a huge potential to transform how people and businesses interact with each other as well as the surroundings. Previously VR was generally associated only with the gaming industry. Now it’s on fire with new opportunities for use. Although this innovative technology has been traditionally associated with the gaming industry, it is…

ImageMeng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei and a daughter of the company’s founder, was arrested in Canada on Saturday.CreditCreditAlexander Bibik/ReutersWASHINGTON — At dinner with China’s president, Xi Jinping, on Saturday night in Buenos Aires, President Trump celebrated their “special” relationship and all but predicted they would emerge with a truce in the trade…

We’re entering an unprecedented era of advanced technology and behemoth tech companies driving its development. Earlier this year, Apple became the first company to reach a one-trillion-dollar valuation, and Amazon followed suit, reaching a one-trillion-dollar market cap in September. Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Facebook, and Netflix are similarly dominant over the S&P 500, together providing…

Stephen Lawlor and David Hunt have witnessed a lot of bullying. Among the principal victims, in their experience, are young, first-time mothers, who are sometimes so intimidated that they’re unable to eat. Isolating their tormentors in a separate group isn’t a solution, Hunt told me: “They just knock the crap out of each other.” The…

When the Boston public school system announced new start times last December, some parents found the schedules unacceptable and pushed back. The algorithm used to set these times had been designed by MIT researchers, and about a week later, Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, emailed asking…

ImageNancy Wilson performing in 1964 at the Hollywood Palace in Los Angeles. A forerunner of the modern female empowerment singer, she could infuse even the saddest song with a sense of strength.CreditCreditABC Photo Archives/ABC, via Getty ImagesNancy Wilson, whose skilled and flexible approach to singing provided a key bridge between the sophisticated jazz-pop vocalists of…

I’m sitting on the floor of Fast Company‘s conference room, watching Little Red Riding Hood face off with a leather-jacket-wearing Big Bad Wolf. The wolf convinces her to tell him where her grandma’s house is, and then dashes off into the forest. Instantly, Little Red is horrified.“What’s wrong?” I ask her.“I don’t know, but something…

It’s night time, and webcam-performer Lola starts her erotic show in a moodily lit pink bedroom. She sits in front of a large TV that’s relaying the feed from her show, as well as the live-chat window that runs alongside. She giggles into the webcam and teases the audience that she’ll begin touching herself once…

Home Biology Plants & Animals / Ecology December 7, 2018 December 7, 2018 by Lewis Barnett, The Conversation Do you know this downy woodpecker? Credit: Lewis Barnett, CC BY-SA As a birder, I had heard that if you paid careful attention to the head feathers on the downy woodpeckers that visited your bird feeders, you…

In pursuit of a decent night’s sleep, I have tried various methods, among them warm baths, long walks, hot drinks, giving up caffeine, yoga, acupuncture, nightcaps, sobriety, open windows, closed windows and Advil PM, bought in bulk from American pharmacies. Some help, but few succeed entirely; still sleep eludes me, for weeks at a time.…

Australia‘s government signed a bill into law last week giving law enforcement agencies the right to force technology companies to reveal users’ encrypted messages. Another way of putting it: Australia‘s tech scene will soon be located on the Wayback Machine. The law was introduced as the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill…

Artificial intelligence mastered a lot of tasks in 2018. There are algorithms that win human debates, book dinners, eliminate checkout lines, tend gardens, spot plumbing leaks, and call for help when we trip and fall. But the machines aren’t completely taking over just yet. There’s at least one thing we’re sure even the savviest silicone…

Mergers and Acquisitions The technology and talent acquired — especially in high tech — are the most valuable assets secured from an integration. Image credit: Rawpixel Ltd | Getty Images Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Merging teams, products and processes is one of the most challenging efforts a company can undertake. Yet, M&A…

When it comes to foldable devices like the the Royole FlexPai and Samsung’s unnamed foldable phone, this major question inevitably comes up: Is that screen made plastic or glass? Plastic looks cheap, but today’s glass screen are more likely to break than flex when you bend them. Maybe not for long. CNET got an exclusive…

Buying gifts for men is notoriously tricky. Can you be sure that he is going to like it? And are you certain that he doesn’t already have something similar? It can sometimes feel like an impossible task.  It’s all well and good if he gives you clear direction, but that takes some of the fun…

“I THINK I got it,” says Alekos Simoni with a grin, returning an electronic fly zapper called “The Executioner” to a nearby metal shelf. With a deft flick of his wrist he has done away with a genetically modified mosquito that was making a bid for freedom. There are many levels of containment to ensure…

5G, hyped to the point of exhaustion, will once again be the talk of Las Vegas when CES 2019 rolls around. But as in previous editions of the big tech show, it’ll largely be talk. That’s because only a few consumers will have actually experienced a real 5G network by the time the show kicks…

As you’re no doubt aware, humans are a rather noisy species. Not just audibly, like in the case of somebody talking loudly when you’re in a movie theater, but also electromagnetically. All of our wireless transmissions since Marconi made his first spark gap broadcast in 1895 have radiated out into space, and anyone who’s got…

For a lot of families, technology is the glue that holds everything together. There’s your kid’s Instagram feed you follow to see what they’re up to. There’s your school’s online network you check for homework and grades. There’s the mapping app that gets you to your kids’ playdates. And then there are the regular old…

Augmented Reality The good news for your company is that AR is widely available to nearly anyone who wants to adapt it — using a tool which, would you believe, is on Facebook? Image credit: Busakorn Pongparnit | Getty Images Stephen Nations Guest Writer Director, Public Relations, Drive Social Media November 28, 2018 8 min…