Electronics

Can you pick a lock with just a smartphone? New research shows that doing so is possible.

Scientific American and the World Economic Forum sifted through more than 75 nominations for the most innovative and potentially game-changing technologies in 2020. The final top 10 span the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences and chemistry. And to win the nod, the technologies must have the potential to spur progress in societies and economies by outperforming established ways of doing things. They also need to be novel (that is, not currently in wide use) yet likely to have a major impact within the next three to five years. Here’s your guide for the (hopefully) near future. 

Read the full report here.

Strange as it might seem, a 2,500-square-kilometer zone south of one tiny Pacific island could supply four substances that are crucial to modern electronics for centuries

Microchannels strategically carved in chips could help meet demand for ever-smaller devices and cut energy use

A new sensor printed on an ordinary piece of paper can send a wireless alert

Technology is blurring the lines between consumers and producers, amateurs and professionals, and laypeople and experts. We’re just starting to understand the implications

Using electronic ink and stencils, researchers created a cheap heart monitor and other health-detecting devices

The system works like noise-cancelling headphones but fits over an open window. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

Originally published in July 1964

Think how much time we’d save if voice assistants always understood commands or questions the first time

A flying robot reveals how birds stay aloft and could inspire next-generation drones

Hackers could trick voice assistants to make calls or compromise texts