Wearable fitness trackers aren’t as useless as you think

But what does the latest research say about how effective they are? And sales arepredicted to growover the next five years. The landscape of the market is fast changing. For years, Fitbit and Garmin were the market leaders. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. They show step counts are generally highly accurate, while heart rate and calories burned are reasonably accurate. That is when one goes up so does the other, and vice versa....

December 13, 2021 · 1 min · 179 words · Ryan Vargas

‘Slaughterbots’ are a step away from your neighborhood — and we need a ban

If youre concerned about killer robots in the military, brace yourself for their arrival in civilian hands. Activists, however, are pessimistic about the outcome. Whilesome countrieshave endorsed new laws, the worlds leading military powers dont appear enthusiastic. The US, for instance, has rebuffed calls to regulate lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs). Instead, American officialshave proposeddeveloping a non-binding code of conduct. This may outline some principles of use, but there would be no legal obligations to abide by them....

December 13, 2021 · 2 min · 295 words · Beth Wilson

We invited an AI to debate its own ethics in the Oxford Union — what it said was startling

Not a day passes without a fascinating snippet on the ethical challenges created by black box artificial intelligence systems. In fact, autonomous AI-powered weapons systems are already on sale andmay in facthave been used. Somewhere in the machine, ethics are clearly a good idea. AI at Oxford 40% off TNW Conference! Along with the students, we allowed an actual AI to contribute. After such extensive research, it forms its own views....

December 12, 2021 · 2 min · 230 words · Shane Rodriguez

Hey, React devs! Here’s why UI libraries will improve your apps

It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Rapid Development Process 1. Awesome UI Building faster is no excuse for building ugly websites. No coding from scratch Pre-build UI components help you code less but create faster. More time for development Its a no-brainer. Styling can be a secondary process but not in development. Therefore, using libraries will simplify the designing process at least and give more relief to the developer....

December 11, 2021 · 1 min · 121 words · Maria Copeland

iPhone 14 Pro leaks say the notch is dead, but I doubt it

Instead, Apple is rumored to use a hole-punch camera, like so many Android phones out there. I have no concrete information to disprove these leaks. The notch, outdated as it is, is part of Apples modern design language. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. I suppose its possible Apple could make a run at make a camera cutout unique in other ways. Some have suggested the company would use apill-shaped cutoutin order to fit Face ID....

December 11, 2021 · 1 min · 80 words · Mary Fuentes

EV charging in underground carparks is hard. Blockchain to the rescue

They were installing chargers at apartment buildings in underground parking garages. However, this is a space where its challenging to gain Wi-Fi internet connectivity. They did this reluctantly for an early customer, yet wanted a better solution. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. You could find yourself stranded, unable to charge your car. So we had to innovate. The company calls it the worlds first No Internet for Things....

December 10, 2021 · 3 min · 481 words · Whitney Parrish

Here’s how to update your AirPods firmware

Welcome, weary traveler. Take off your shoes. Let me massage your feet with this homemade oil I made from out-of-date salad cream and some spit. You have come here today because you want to know how to update yourAirPodsfirmware? Maybe you have theAirPods Pro? Or, indeed, maybe the newAirPods 3? Theolder models, perhaps? Itll look something like 4C165. But what if I really, really want to update my AirPods firmware? Here we go:...

December 10, 2021 · 1 min · 81 words · Roger Henderson

Julian Assange can be extradited to US, British judges rule

Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, British judges ruled today at the UKs High Court. Assange is expected to appeal the decision, which overturnsa judgment issued earlier this year. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. The US government appealed the decision. On Friday, the High Court allowed the appeal. He added: That conclusion is sufficient to determine this appeal in the USAs favour. If convicted in the US, Assange faces a possible penalty of up to 175 years in jail....

December 10, 2021 · 1 min · 162 words · Kyle Cervantes

Mercedes-Benz’ new autopilot makes it legal to take your eyes off the road… kinda

But with numerous cars offering ADAS and automated lane-keeping systems, letting unpick what this actually means. Whats Level 3 again? In the case of Mercedes, a special DRIVE PILOT enables drivers to engage in certain secondary activities. 40% off TNW Conference! But how does it work? The drive pilot controls can be turned on in the steering wheel rim. Once activated, the system controls the speed and distance, and maintains lane keeping....

December 10, 2021 · 2 min · 231 words · Derek Jones

Meta’s first ‘metaverse’ app feels like a cheap Minecraft rip-off

The app is now available for free, but with a few caveats. You must be at least 18 years old and located in the US or Canada. In other words, its like a shittier Minecraft VR. 40% off TNW Conference! Check out the footage recorded by theOtterWorldyYouTube channel below. But whats available right now on Horizon Worlds? Well, Meta is debuting a 3v3 laser tag game called Arena Clash you could play with friends....

December 10, 2021 · 1 min · 98 words · David Simmons

Oi, marketers! Stay away from these 5 types of stock photos

Stock photos dont a great reputation. Theyre cheesy and are easily recognizable, so a lot of marketers avoid using them. But Id like to argue that stock photos arent the issue, its how you choose them. Genuine top-quality stock photos expand yourmarketingopportunities. Credit:Pixabay 40% off TNW Conference! ensure they appear natural, just like the photographer captured them in a real-life scene all of a sudden. This will make the content feel more genuine rather than cheap and staged....

December 10, 2021 · 2 min · 255 words · Dawn Smith

Researchers SOMEHOW peered into a black-box AI made for identifying molecules on exoplanets

Do you know what the Earths atmosphere is made of? Youd probably remember its oxygen, and maybe nitrogen. As exoplanets are so far away, it has proven extremely difficult to probe their atmospheres. Now our new paper, published in theAstrophysical Journal, has provided reassuring insight into their mysterious logic. Earth-sized planets produce 10-100 times lower signals. Its a bit like spotting the eye color of a cat from an aircraft....

December 10, 2021 · 2 min · 252 words · Raymond Walker

Researchers use water to create a safer and more durable EV battery cell

Lithium-ion batteries are the catalyst for our EVs, but theyre not perfect. Specifically, one of their main disadvantages is the flammability of the organic electrolytes currently used for their production. Thankfully, hope is on the way. Whats the difficulty? The main disadvantage of aqueous lithium-ion batteries is their lower energy density compared to their conventional counterparts. 40% off TNW Conference! Because of that, it reacts and produces undesirable hydrogen and oxygen gases....

December 10, 2021 · 1 min · 144 words · Derek Brown