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Europe’s Other Crisis: A Digital Recession
November 14, 2015
You may have heard that Europe is in a state of crisis. This has nothing to do with an influx of refugees, or Greek debt, or even the future of the European Union. The crisis we speak of has even more severe consequences for Europe’s global competitiveness. In our research on the state and pace of digital evolution worldwide, we have found that the old continent is in the midst of a “digital recession.” * * * How has Europe dealt with the situation? The response has primarily taken three...
November 14, 2015
You may have heard that Europe is in a state of crisis. This has nothing to do with an influx of refugees, or Greek debt, or even the future of the European Union. The crisis we speak of has even more severe consequences for Europe’s global competitiveness. In our research on the state and pace of digital evolution worldwide, we have found that the old continent is in the midst of a “digital recession.” * * * How has Europe dealt with the situation? The response has primarily taken three...
MIT Researchers Used Wi-Fi To Recognize People Through Walls
November 8, 2015
Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed software that uses variations in Wi-Fi signals to recognize human silhouettes through walls. The researchers built a device, called RF-Capture, that transmits wireless signals and then analyzes the reflections of those signals to piece together a human form, according to a study published this morning. The technology is an extension of something the MIT team has been working on for a few years. In 2013, they used...
November 8, 2015
Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed software that uses variations in Wi-Fi signals to recognize human silhouettes through walls. The researchers built a device, called RF-Capture, that transmits wireless signals and then analyzes the reflections of those signals to piece together a human form, according to a study published this morning. The technology is an extension of something the MIT team has been working on for a few years. In 2013, they used...
Microsoft Co-Founder Launches $500 Million Quest to Build an Artificial Brain
November 1, 2015
Paul Allen has been waiting for the emergence of intelligent machines for a very long time. As a young boy, Allen spent much of his time in the library reading science-fiction novels in which robots manage our homes, perform surgery and fly around saving lives like superheroes. In his imagination, these beings would live among us, serving as our advisers, companions and friends. Now 62 and worth an estimated $17.7 billion, the Microsoft co-founder is using his wealth to back two separate philanthropic...
November 1, 2015
Paul Allen has been waiting for the emergence of intelligent machines for a very long time. As a young boy, Allen spent much of his time in the library reading science-fiction novels in which robots manage our homes, perform surgery and fly around saving lives like superheroes. In his imagination, these beings would live among us, serving as our advisers, companions and friends. Now 62 and worth an estimated $17.7 billion, the Microsoft co-founder is using his wealth to back two separate philanthropic...
Google Street View Adds Virtual Reality Support With Cardboard
October 31, 2015
If you have a Google Cardboard compatible headset lying around, Street View is about to get a lot more fun. Google today announced support for Cardboard in its mobile Street View apps for Android and iOS. The update will allow you to explore locations in 360 degrees (although not quite 3D, as that would require a different camera set up). Street View is one of the most obvious applications for Cardboard, given it’s already constructed in 360 degrees; it’s somewhat surprising Street View...
October 31, 2015
If you have a Google Cardboard compatible headset lying around, Street View is about to get a lot more fun. Google today announced support for Cardboard in its mobile Street View apps for Android and iOS. The update will allow you to explore locations in 360 degrees (although not quite 3D, as that would require a different camera set up). Street View is one of the most obvious applications for Cardboard, given it’s already constructed in 360 degrees; it’s somewhat surprising Street View...
Future of Computing: Social Robots Help With Personal Goals
October 30, 2015
Entrepreneur and MIT scientist Cynthia Breazeal says the future of computing will include robots that can elicit emotional responses from humans — responses that could help improve their lives and help achieve personal goals. Consider two examples, Breazeal said at marketing and technology conference FutureM this past week. In one recent study, a robot named Autumn helped users not only lose weight but also keep the weight off. "These are machines that can help you be able to transform yourself...
October 30, 2015
Entrepreneur and MIT scientist Cynthia Breazeal says the future of computing will include robots that can elicit emotional responses from humans — responses that could help improve their lives and help achieve personal goals. Consider two examples, Breazeal said at marketing and technology conference FutureM this past week. In one recent study, a robot named Autumn helped users not only lose weight but also keep the weight off. "These are machines that can help you be able to transform yourself...
What to Think About Machines That Think
October 24, 2015
Stephen Hawking recently made headlines by noting, "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." Others, conversely, have trumpeted a new age of "superintelligence" in which smart devices will exponentially extend human capacities. No longer just a matter of science-fiction fantasy (2001, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Her, etc.), it is time to seriously consider the reality of intelligent technology, many forms of which are already being integrated into...
October 24, 2015
Stephen Hawking recently made headlines by noting, "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." Others, conversely, have trumpeted a new age of "superintelligence" in which smart devices will exponentially extend human capacities. No longer just a matter of science-fiction fantasy (2001, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Her, etc.), it is time to seriously consider the reality of intelligent technology, many forms of which are already being integrated into...
Sandrine Thuret: You Can Grow New Brain Cells. Here’s How
October 18, 2015
Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.
October 18, 2015
Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.
What People in 1900 Thought the Year 2000 Would Look Like
October 11, 2015
There are few things as fascinating as seeing what people in the past dreamed about the future. "France in the Year 2000"...
October 11, 2015
There are few things as fascinating as seeing what people in the past dreamed about the future. "France in the Year 2000"...
Breaking the Taxi Monoply
October 10, 2015
How fast do profits erode once the entry barrier to Uber is lifted? Enough to dissipate one-third of the value of operating...
October 10, 2015
How fast do profits erode once the entry barrier to Uber is lifted? Enough to dissipate one-third of the value of operating...
Silicon Chips Could Become Carbon Chips
October 9, 2015
IBM says it has solved one of three key problems with making computer chip transistors from carbon rather than silicon. It’s a step closer to overcoming the current limitations on Moore’s Law. The theory is that while silicon transistors have worked well for years, it’s getting harder and harder to make them any smaller and thus increase the overall capacity on a chip. The suggested alternative is a carbon nanotube, literally a rolled up sheet of carbon that is just one atom thick. One...
October 9, 2015
IBM says it has solved one of three key problems with making computer chip transistors from carbon rather than silicon. It’s a step closer to overcoming the current limitations on Moore’s Law. The theory is that while silicon transistors have worked well for years, it’s getting harder and harder to make them any smaller and thus increase the overall capacity on a chip. The suggested alternative is a carbon nanotube, literally a rolled up sheet of carbon that is just one atom thick. One...
