The idea of a multifunctional power suit may be common in superheroes like Iron Man, but what if an actual version of it existed? A team of researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and NASA has designed a special power suit that’s giving “superpowers” not to us — but to our EVs. Made of layered carbon composite material and nanoscale graphene sheets, the suit works as a supercapacitor-battery hybrid device, able to store and provide energy. It’s envisioned to be used as a car’s b
The UK government is reportedly considering a £16 billion proposal to build a solar power station in space. Yes, you read that right. Space-based solar power is one of the technologies to feature in the government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. It has been identified as a potential solution, alongside others, to enable the UK to achieve net-zero by 2050. But how would a solar power station in space work? What are the advantages and drawbacks to this technology? Space-based solar power involves
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Since the pandemic started two years ago, video conferencing calls have been part of our daily work life — and they’re not going away. The best part about working from home is that I can snack, or belt out my favorite tune while attending a meeting. But I don’t need other people on the call to hear all that — and neither do you. There are several ways to quick
We tech reporters like to complain about tech a lot. Whether it’s the invasion of our privacy, worrisome use of AI, or the death of the headphone jack, we can be a fussy bunch. But as I emptied out boxes of old tech gear to start the new year fresh, I couldn’t help but be grateful for one of the best decisions the tech industry has made in the past few years: adopting USB-C. Back in 2015, when Apple first introduced USB-C to the mainstream with the redesigned MacBook, I called it the one port to
On Sept. 1 and 2, 1859, telegraph systems around the world failed catastrophically. The operators of the telegraphs reported receiving electrical shocks, telegraph paper catching fire, and being able to operate equipment with batteries disconnected. During the evenings, the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, could be seen as far south as Colombia. Typically, these lights are only visible at higher latitudes, in northern Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia. What the world ex
Encouraging women in AI has never been more urgent. A study by the World Economic Forum noted a gender disparity of 78 percent male versus 22 percent female in AI and data science. This disparity isn’t just a challenge within the workforce. It reflects a highly nuanced issue that goes beyond any single workplace and if not addressed will have highly negative implications for society. We have seen a lot of work to encourage girls and women to become interested in STEMand address gaps in digital s
This article was originally published on .cult by Mikaella C. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. Have you ever wanted more control over the direction of your company? When is it time to rethink your role? One study from Honeypot found that many developers become less satisfied with their working environment and company culture as t
This article is part of our coverage of the latest in AI research. Artificial intelligence research has made great achievements in solving specific applications, but we’re still far from the kind of general-purpose AI systems that scientists have been dreaming of for decades. Among the solutions being explored to overcome the barriers of AI is the idea of neuro-symbolic systems that bring together the best of different branches of computer science. In a talk at the IBM Neuro-Symbolic AI Workshop
This article was originally published on .cult by Piumi Gunawardhana. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. In the beginning, there was JavaScript. The popular scripting language we all know and love. Ever since its creation, it’s been the dominating language for web development. Then two decades later, Microsoft introduced TypeScript
If you’ve been considering buying your first ebike — or perhaps your second or third — chances are you’ve come across some models equipped with a belt drive instead of a traditional chain. But what difference does a belt drive really make, and is it actually worth the usual premium over a tried and trusted chain? We’re here to help. What is a belt drive? Until ebikes started to become popular, almost every bicycle on the market used a chain. But the advent of ebikes has increasingly made belt dr