Citing concerns of election fraud, Microsoft is releasing ballot-tracking software, NPR reported. The software kit will allow voters to track their votes as they go through the counting process and notify them if and when tampering occurs. This tool aims to secure our increasingly vulnerable voting system. […]
Oregon police responded to a burglary call only to find a Roomba® causing ruckus in a bathroom, according to NPR. A concerned house guest called the police due to strange noises coming from a locked bathroom, but when law enforcement got in, they found a robot vacuum moving back and forth across the floor. The development of robotic vacuum cleaners has come a long way. […]
New scientific tool decodes brain signals intended for body’s speech-related movements and turns them into computerized speech, as reported by Axios. While the device has limitations, it’s a step forward in helping those who have lost the ability to speak. However, neural imaging is often misunderstood. […]
Amazon employees sometimes listen to voice commands that Echo owners give to Alexa, “Bloomberg” reported. During the Alexa voice review process, a team of Amazon contractors and full-time employees listen to recordings of customers giving instructions to Alexa, for the purposes of improving software algorithms. Do privacy issues have a home on “The Internet of Things?” […]
The Chinese government announced regulations requiring research approval for gene editing, “Science Magazine” reported. This statement follows the news that China had produced two genetically-altered babies. We’ve come a long way from blasting radiation at insects. […]
Twenty of the top American airports will soon use facial recognition technology to increase security, government documents released to BuzzFeed said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will implement the Biometrics Entry-Exit Program by 2021. Learn more about biometrics and the potential benefits—and risks—they bring. […]
Baseball’s trendsetting independent organization, the Atlantic League, may begin using the ball-tracking technology Trackman to call balls and strikes in its games. This automation would regulate the “strike zone” via robotics instead of umpires’ discretion, likely causing the MLB to follow suit. But why do we use robotics? […]
During the harshest cold weather this winter, some Midwestern utility companies asked residents to turn down their thermostats to avoid overtaxing the regional electric grid serving the area. But what is the grid and how does it work–and get overworked? […]
© The Teaching Company, LLC. All rights reserved.