As artificial intelligence has become increasingly sophisticated, it has inspired renewed efforts to develop computers whose physical architecture mimics the human brain. One approach, called reservoir computing, allows hardware devices to achieve the higher-dimension calculations required by emerging artificial intelligence. One new device highlights the potential of extremely small mechanical systems to achieve these calculations. […]
A North Carolina water utility has been infected by ransomware in a breach the company says has forced customer-service functions offline and will require it to rebuild its computing infrastructure. Jacksonville, North Carolina-based Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA) said in a statement that it was hit by the Ryuk ransomware virus in the middle […]
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL have started shipping, and if you splurged for Google’s new wireless charging accessory, the Pixel Stand, then you’ll notice that the corresponding app has now hit the Play Store. If you don’t have a Pixel 3, you won’t even be able to view the app listing on the Play […]
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced plans Monday to create a new college of artificial intelligence with an initial $1 billion commitment for the program focusing on “responsible and ethical” uses of the technology. The prestigious university said it would add 50 new faculty members and create an interdisciplinary hub for work in computer science, […]
From the very beginning, public cloud environments like AWS represented a reduced security burden for the companies taking advantage of them. The basic shared responsibility model — still in effect — made it clear that the cloud provider (i.e., the vendor) secures the hardware and software of the cloud itself, while the customer is responsible […]
Every two seconds, sensors measuring the United States’ electrical grid collect 3 petabytes of data – the equivalent of 3 million gigabytes. Data analysis on that scale is a challenge when crucial information is stored in an inaccessible database. But researchers at Purdue University are working on a solution, combining quantum algorithms with classical computing […]
NASA scientists can experience life on Mars using VR software that maps out the Red Planet’s exact landscape, thanks to data collected from NASA’s Curiosity Rover. OnSight, a mixed-reality software, allows the space agency to give its scientists the chance to take a “virtual field trip” to Mars where they can study the planet’s geology […]
Work is underway to deploy Corti, an AI system that detects heart attacks during emergency phone calls, and it could be coming to some of the biggest cities in Europe. Following plans announced earlier this year to roll Corti out in more cities, this summer the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), whose members include cities […]
The late physicist Stephen Hawking’s last writings predict that a breed of superhumans will take over, having used genetic engineering to surpass their fellow beings. In Brief Answers to the Big Questions, to be published on Oct. 16 and excerpted today in the UK’s Sunday Times (paywall), Hawking pulls no punches on subjects like machines […]
The UT Department of Computer Science is in the final stages of approval for a new online master’s degree program. “The question everyone wants to ask is, ‘Can online be done as well as the traditional on-campus lecture?’” said Brent Winkelman, department of computer science director. “My response is, ‘Why can’t it be better?’ When […]
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) — operators of the world’s largest particle physics lab — near Geneva, Switzerland, is said to be the largest particle accelerator in the world. The accelerator lies in a tunnel 27 kilometers in circumference, as deep as 175 meters beneath the French-Swiss […]
The holidays are back, and with them the stress of finding the right gifts for family and friends. But that process doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, with a little help from our gear experts, it can downright fun! We review hundreds of products of every kind each year so you have the best […]
