While it may seem as though some teachers are like robots, now the actual machines are starting to become part of the educators' toolkit. It makes sense that robots will someday be able to teach, but researchers in Switzerland are now bringing into the classroom to learn. Children learning to write are being asked to teach robots what they know...
3D printing has been slow to catch on with consumers, but those in the know (read: us) say it will prove to be one of the biggest trends of the decade. New and novel uses for the technology are coming along faster than ever, and some are proving to be life-changing. Once such invention is the Handii, a myoelectric prosthetic hand designed by a...
Facial recognition software is moving to the oceans to protect humans from sharks. Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS), an Australian company, has teamed up with Google+ and a local mobile telecommunications operator to create a shark detection and warning system that uses a sophisticated mashup of technologies to keep swimmers safe. Their...
Personalized data collection for marketing and even more nefarious purposes is now firmly established as an enduring trend. In fact, it's so ubiquitous that digitized data collection is moving off the ground and into airplanes. In a unique experiment to better understand their flyers, British Airways is enlisting some passengers as volunteer...
The past two years have seen the buzz over selfies rise to fever pitch, along with a general acknowledgement that they are somewhat silly and narcissistic. Add “uncivilized” and “dangerous” to that list, and the selfie fad may be on the decline, if not banned outright. That’s exactly what’s happening at museums and historical sites around the...
What is the most transformative trend facing the world of travel? As with so many other consumer-oriented industries, one of the biggest trends is the move towards mobile. Travelers are using their mobile devices for everything now, from research and booking to ticketing, getting customer service, and, of course celebrating or complaining about...
We are entering the Decade of the Brain. Knowledge of how our own brains function is expanding at a record pace and companies and entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to give us regular people insight into the way our own heads work. Los Angeles-based Melon, for example, is finding ways to combine scientific developments with the latest...
As technology takes over our lives, an increasing number of businesses are imposing limits on the use of various devices on their premises. First it was cell phone use, in cinemas and theatres. Now phones are being banned in many waiting rooms and at café cash registers. Can't you just buy a coffee without having your phone up to your ear,...
