Anshumali Shrivastava is an associate professor of computer science, electrical and computer engineering and statistics, and a member of the Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University. Credit: Jeff Fitlow / Rice University Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere—from the chatbots we consult for customer support to tools predicting how diseases might spread. But the computing power … Read more
The Roborock Saros 10R is instantly one of the best robot vacuums we’ve tested. Updated, AI-powered navigation sensors provide very accurate mapping and routing, while the slim design means it can get under furniture that the competition can’t. Solid suction power and auto-removable mop heads make for a better clean, and the FlexiLift can clear … Read more
Multiple earthquakes are rattling Santorini, a volcanic island in Greece, prompting authorities to dispatch rescuers with tents, a sniffer dog and drones, and to shut schools on four islands. Residents have been warned to avoid indoor gatherings, check escape routes, stay away from cliffs and to drain swimming pools to reduce potential structural damage to buildings in the … Read more
The energy factories in our cells contain their own genes, and genetic mutations in them can cause deadly inherited diseases. These oblong-shaped organelles, or mitochondria, translate genes into proteins, which together form a kind of production chain that supplies cells with energy. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, torpedo the process, leading to sluggish cells … Read more
In December, we published an investigation into a particularly grim phenomenon on Character.AI, an AI startup with $2.7 billion in backing from Google: a huge number of minor-accessible bots on its platform based on the real-life perpetrators and victims of school shootings, designed to roleplay scenes of horrific carnage. The company didn’t respond to our request … Read more
As business becomes increasingly data-driven , the ways in which we generate and handle data continue to grow. Data is everywhere – and is having an increasing impact on our lives, especially with the rise of algorithms for automated decision-making. It is therefore incumbent upon organizations that collect and process our data to ensure it … Read more
Our brains are increasingly plastic. Minuscule shards and flakes of polymers are surprisingly abundant in brain tissue, a study of postmortem brains shows. This appraisal of microplastics and nanoplastics, published February 3 in Nature Medicine, raises questions and worries about what this plastic is doing to us. “The findings are both significant and concerning,” says … Read more
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Hitting the current national 2030 quotas for solar and wind energy could reduce the volatility of electricity markets by an average of 20% across 29 European countries, according to a new study from the University of Cambridge. The intensity of spikes in power prices are predicted to fall in every country … Read more
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How DeepSeek ripped up the AI playbook—and why everyone’s going to follow its lead When the Chinese firm DeepSeek dropped a large language model called R1 two weeks ago, it sent shock waves … Read more
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Update: February 3, 2025 (4:20 AM ET): We have updated our Google Pixel 9a hub to include rumored pricing and an apparent launch window. The Google Pixel 8a has been a solid addition to the Pixel lineup. It is a great recommendation as a budget Android device, especially if you … Read more
