A hacking group linked to the Russian government has been attempting to breach the U.S. power grid, Wired reports. The hackers have been tracked by security experts from the non-profit group the Electric Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and security firm Dragos. They warn that the hacking group has been probing the grid for […]
Emerging Tech
Got $400 million to burn? The world’s largest airplane is up for sale
Stratolaunch Systems Stratolaunch, the world’s largest airplane, is up for sale. All it’ll cost you is $ 400 million dollars. Vulcan, a holding company that belonged to late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is looking to sell off Stratolaunch for the hefty sum, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNBC. With […]
This crazy-looking robot uses microspines on its legs to climb up walls
[embedded content] There are multiple animals that are able to cling onto and clamber up vertical surfaces. For all the things that today’s most exciting robots are capable of, however, not too many of them have been able to replicate this particular feat. But that may be about to change. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University […]
Sloshed drone pilots in Japan can now be punished with jail time
Drone enthusiasts in Japan have been warned that if they fly their drone while drunk, they could end up in prison. The country has apparently become the first in the world to enact legislation that bans drunk droning, with offenders facing up to a year in the clink or a fine of up to 300,000 […]
This lifesaving wearable could diagnose strokes more accurately
As the Apple Watch’s ECG-reading tech has made clear, wearable devices have moved well beyond high-tech gimmicks and become genuine lifesavers. The latest demonstration of this is a new device, developed by researchers from the Army Medical University and China Academy of Engineering Physics. Their “hybrid instrument” uses two different light measurement techniques to build […]
Uber Eats: Drone delivery service could see Big Macs hit speeds of 70 mph
Uber is following in the footsteps of Amazon, Google, and others, with the development of its own delivery drone. The flying machine will be used by Uber Eats, a service that lets hungry folks order meals using an app on their smartphone. Uber has recently been conducting drone delivery tests from a McDonald’s in San […]
Custom 3D-printed heads let doctors practice delicate brain procedures
Radiotherapy can be a game-changer for treating brain cancer, with high doses of precisely targeted radiation used to kill off dangerous cancer cells, while avoiding damage to surrounding areas. The key word, however, is “precise,” since missing a target even by a few millimeters could damage healthy brain tissue with major health implications that threaten […]
Digital Trends Live: E3 updates, Uber Elevate Summit, Beyond Burger, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler and DT Producer Adrien Warner dig into the trending tech stories of the day, including highlights from E3, the Uber Elevate Summit, Portal’s new devices, the Beyond Burger’s arrival in stores, and a very special goodbye to the Mars Rover. Later, Nibler welcomes Todd Weaver, […]
Mars lander simulator lets you take Opportunity rover for one last spin
[embedded content] It was a sad moment earlier this year when NASA officially called it quits on its 15-year-old, record-setting Mars rover Opportunity, eight months after its last contact with the lander, following an intense dust storm in 2018. While Opportunity may be gone, Mars enthusiasts can revive the legendary rover from the comfort of […]
Sonarax harnesses ultrasonic sound for improved security, indoor navigation
[embedded content] Imagine that your smartphone could talk directly to an ATM to securely authenticate your identity without you having to touch it. What if your phone could use sound from the speaker system in the mall to guide you directly to the specific store, or even the specific shelf in that store, that you’re […]
In the search for extraterrestrial life, we should look to exomoons
Artist’s impression of a potentially habitable exomoon orbiting a giant planet. Sci-News.com The search for life outside of our planet has a new target: exomoons. Traditionally scientists have looked to other planets for signs of life, but a new study by an astrophysicist from the University of Lincoln, U.K., suggests we may be more successful […]
James Webb telescope undergoes vacuum testing, finally moving toward launch
Technicians and engineers needed to take special precautions when preparing, and transporting Webb’s spacecraft element for entry into Northrop Grumman’s environmental testing chambers. Northrop Grumman The long-delayed James Webb telescope is finally moving toward completion. The telescope recently passed a round of testing ahead of its planned launch in 2021. The spacecraft which will launch […]
This beautiful map of the sky traces key sources of X-rays as seen from the ISS
This image of the whole sky shows 22 months of X-ray data recorded by NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) payload aboard the International Space Station during its nighttime slews between targets. NASA/NICER This beautiful image was captured by an instrument aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). […]
Milky Way’s supermassive black hole is wrapped in a vast mantle of cool gas
Artist’s impression of a ring of cool, interstellar gas surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. New ALMA observations reveal this structure for the first time. NRAO/AUI/NSF; S. Dagnello At the center of our galaxy, approximately 26,000 light-years away, is a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A* (pronounced A Star). […]
NASA’s Mars Helicopter is ready to take to the red skies
[embedded content] NASA’s Mars Helicopter passed its latest barrage of tests and is almost ready for its trip to the Red Planet, traveling alongside the Mars 2020 rover when the mission launches next year. This will be the first heavier-than-air vehicle ever to be flown on another planet, so there are a lot of engineering […]