A global network of small, Wi-Fi-enabled telescopes has enabled hobby astronomers to contribute to astronomical research, discovering hundreds of asteroids, comets, and exoplanets. The network, led by the French company Unistellar, has expanded its reach through partnerships with nonprofits and universities, making it accessible to communities worldwide. This collaborative effort has transformed the way people…
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Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a device called “e-Taste” that can deliver virtual tastes by squirting chemicals onto the tongue. The system uses five edible chemicals to mimic flavors ranging from cake to coffee, with an overall accuracy of nearly 87% in a recent study. The team envisions applications in immersive gaming and…
The tech industry has seen a significant wave of layoffs in 2024, with over 150,000 job cuts across 542 companies. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, with major players like Google, Tesla, and Microsoft announcing further reductions. The impact of these layoffs on innovation and the job market is a pressing concern, with…
Recent data breaches have exposed the personal information of millions of individuals, including students, teachers, and patients. The PowerSchool breach, one of the largest in recent history, affected over 62 million students and 9.5 million teachers in the United States. Additionally, a hacker stole a million patient records from a nonprofit healthcare provider, and stalkerware…
Humane, a Silicon Valley-based AI hardware startup, has been partially acquired by HP for $116 million, a significant decrease from its initial venture capital funding of $240 million. The acquisition has resulted in layoffs for some employees, while others have received job offers from HP with pay increases and bonus plans. The newly formed innovation…
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has released its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, which boasts enhanced capabilities in image analysis and question-answering. The new model has been in development for several months and surpasses its predecessor, Grok 2, in terms of computing power and accuracy. Grok 3 is set to revolutionize the AI landscape,…
Google DeepMind’s AI problem solver, AlphaGeometry 2, has surpassed the level of the average gold medallist in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The AI system, which was upgraded to include Google’s state-of-the-art large language model, Gemini, was able to solve 84% of all geometry problems set in IMOs over the past 25 years. This achievement…
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Boston has highlighted the uncertainty and turmoil facing the American scientific community. With thousands of scientists, advocates, and policy experts in attendance, the meeting has underscored the threats to funding, public data, and federal workers. The climate at institutions is described as chaotic, with…
Google has expanded its AI-based note-taking and research assistant, NotebookLM Plus, to individual users subscribed to the Google One AI Premium plan. This move comes after its debut for enterprises on Google Cloud and via Google Workspace. The paid version offers higher usage limits and premium features, including 5 times more usage than the free…
Perplexity, an AI search engine, successfully increased its app downloads by 50% after a clever Super Bowl contest. The company chose to forgo an expensive ad in favor of a tweet encouraging users to download its app and enter a contest for a $1 million win. This strategy helped Perplexity’s app climb in the U.S….