Ultrasonic Attack Device Hacks Phones through Solid Objects
Hackers could trick voice assistants to make calls or compromise texts
Stories by Sophie Bushwick
Delivery from Local Store Is Greenest Shopping Method—Most of the Time
Researchers also calculated the carbon footprints for online and in-person shopping
Will Past Criminals Reoffend? Humans Are Terrible at Guessing, and Computers Aren’t Much Better
A new study finds algorithms’ predictions are slightly superior but not under all circumstances
Sweating Robot Beats the Heat
By leaking water, a soft robotic gripper cools itself more efficiently than humans do
Cyborg Jellyfish Could One Day Explore the Ocean
An electronic device increases their speed, and later versions could control their direction as well
3-D Printing Gives Voice to a 3,000-Year-Old Mummy
Researchers printed a replica of the vocal tract of ancient Egyptian scribe Nesyamun
A Simple Twist of Thermodynamics Could Lead to Greener Refrigeration
Fibers that become colder when they are untwisted could inspire more environmentally-friendly fridges
Bacteria-Filled Bricks Build Themselves
The microorganisms transform sand and gelatin into a living construction material
A Drone’s-Eye View of the Quick and the Dead
New machine-learning technique can distinguish living bodies from deceased ones
How Iran Can Still Use Cyber and Drone Technology to Attack the U.S.
Cyberattacks and missile launches have already happened
New Particle Accelerator Fits on a Silicon Chip
The device uses lasers to accelerate electrons along an etched channel
How NIST Tested Facial Recognition Algorithms for Racial Bias
Some algorithms were up to 100 times better at identifying white faces
New Technique Welds Ceramics with Lasers
The process could lead to the creation of tougher, more biocompatible electronic devices
New Virtual Reality Interface Enables "Touch" Across Long Distances
Lightweight, flexible patch conveys a tactile sensation directly to the skin
Hearing Is Seeing: Sound Waves Create a 3-D Display
An interactive system produces levitating images by projecting color onto a tiny bead as it zips around a darkened box
This Video Watches You Back
Stealing Ur Feelings sounds an alarm about how companies could use emotion-recognition technology
New Encryption System Protects Data from Quantum Computers
As quantum computing creeps closer, IBM successfully demonstrates a way to secure sensitive information
A Computer Tells Real Smiles from Phonies
Slight changes around the eyes are indeed a giveaway as to whether a smile is sincere or faked.
“Anonymous” Data Won’t Protect Your Identity
A new study demonstrates it is surprisingly easy to ID an individual within a supposedly incognito data set
