Luxury glass could be coming to a new car or truck near you. The Suspended Particle Device, which is the Star Trek-like name for a film that turns vehicles’ sunroofs and other glass from transparent to opaque, blocking the infrared and ultraviolet light that superheat interiors and prematurely age leather and other materials. For more,…
Month: October 2019
Samsung’s ‘Space Selfie’ falls out of sky
I always wondered what happened to stuff that fell out of space. The “Space Selfie” device, which the company said aimed to capture images “using a unique view of planet earth as the backdrop,” was found by Nancy Mumby-Welke and her husband on Saturday morning after they heard a loud crash outside their home in…
Google claims quantum computer breakthrough
Google said that an experimental quantum processor performed a calculation in minutes that would’ve taken an ordinary supercomputer thousands of years. IBM quickly took issue with Google’s claim that it had achieved “quantum supremacy,” a term that refers to a point when a quantum computer can perform a calculation that a traditional computer can’t complete…
Intel Introduces Tremont Microarchitecture
Intel revealed the first architectural details related to Tremont – their newest and most advanced low-power x86 CPU architecture. Tremont next-generation low-power x86 microarchitecture delivers significant IPC (instructions per cycle) gains gen-over-gen compared with Intel’s prior low-power x86 architectures. Designed for enhanced processing power in compact, low-power packages, Tremont-based processors will enable a new generation…
Hackers hover near online shopping carts, too
Not only is there e-skimming on gas pumps, your online shopping cart is a target. Cyber criminals introduce a skimming code on e-commerce payment processing web pages to capture credit card and information such as your name, date of birth, account numbers, passwords and location information, the FBI said. I found this particularly interesting as…
Samsung admits to major security flaw
Samsung has admitted there is a major security flaw in its phones that lets anyone bypass the fingerprint sensors. ″This issue involved ultrasonic fingerprint sensors unlocking devices after recognizing 3-dimensional patterns appearing on certain silicone screen protecting cases as users’ fingerprints,” Samsung said, referring to the in-screen fingerprint reader on its newest phones. “To prevent…
Volvo reveals its first electric car
Volvo revealed its first electric car as it moves ahead with its plan to convert its entire lineup into electric or hybrid cars. The Swedish brand, which is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, debuted the Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV. If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s essentially a battery-powered version of the standard XC40. For…
SpaceX submits paperwork for 30,000 more Starlink satellites
Shazaam! Is this a good idea? In its filings, SpaceX said the additional 30,000 satellites would operate in low Earth orbit at altitudes ranging from 328 kilometers to 580 kilometers. SpaceX said the satellites will have steerable spot beams to link with customers, and “omnidirectional” beams for spacecraft telemetry, tracking and control functions. For more,…
Comet is confirmed as an interstellar visitor
It’s only the second interstellar comet ever detected in our solar system. A newly discovered comet is definitely from outside our solar system, scientists confirmed in a study published Monday. The study said that despite the comet’s interstellar origin, it looks surprisingly similar to comets from within the solar system. For more, check out this…
Dyson Scraps Electric Vehicle Plans
Ouch! After committing $2 billion to the project, the company no longer believes it’s commercially viable. Dyson had formed a team of hundreds of engineers, acquired a Michigan battery technology company and committed more than $2 billion to the effort. It subsequently outlined plans for testing facilities in England and a factory in Singapore. But…