All Technology
- Why Google's cars drive three million virtual miles a day
Google puts its self-driving cars through more than three million simulated miles of driving a day, testing software tweaks and behaviors. Before any software changes are made in the real world, they're tested extensively in Google's simulator.
- Facebook tries to deliver more meaningful content, less clickbait
Facebook tweaked its News Feed algorithm to try to give more prominence to stories that people find meaningful, but don't necessarily get a lot of clicks or likes.
- Florida bill would decide what happens to online accounts after death
The state Senate unanimously approved a bill on Tuesday that grappled with the difficult question of what happens to a person's social media accounts after they die. It aims to address privacy concerns raised by Internet companies, which offer online tools for designating 'legacy accounts.'
- Driverless bus hits the road in the Netherlands
Dutch authorities announced that a six-passenger driverless bus without a steering wheel or pedals called a WEpod would begin tests in the small agricultural town of Wageningen.
- Encryption won't stop surveillance, says Harvard study
A Harvard University study finds that notions of a new age of untraceable criminals is overblown. Why?
- How San Francisco's Super Bowl reveals economic divisions with Silicon Valley
The city's chamber of commerce calls the festivities for this week's big game the "most philanthropic Super Bowl in the game's history." But rising rents fostered by tech workers moving into the city have changed its demographics, sparking protests about unequal conditions for longtime residents.
- First LookNASA and Facebook team up to offer taste of what it's like to stand on Mars
The video offers the first close look at extraterrestrial, active sand dunes, and an early look at Facebook's immersive video technology.
- How Google's SkyBender drones will deliver Internet access to remote areas
The company is quietly conducting tests of the technology, which could potentially transmit large amounts of data at speeds up to 40 times faster than currently 4G LTE networks, at a vast site in New Mexico developed for private spaceflight.
- Could 'mechanical doping' open the door to sanctioned e-bike racing?
Electric bike enthusiasts see a silver lining to allegations that a Belgian cyclocross athlete cheated by using a hidden motor.
- Underwater tech: Why does Microsoft want to dunk its data centers?
When it comes to cooling hot computer servers, Microsoft says it's found an underwater remedy to lower costs and increase efficiency.
- Will MIT students make Elon Musk's Hyperloop a reality?
First proposed by Musk in 2013, the Hyperloop could transport commuters at about 700 miles per hour.
- What is Google's Project SkyBender?
Google is reportedly testing a system utilizing solar-powered drones designed to deliver high-speed 5G Internet service from the sky.
- Is Apple expanding into virtual reality?
After a series of hires and acquisitions, rumors swirl that Apple is building a secret virtual reality product.
- Why lasers are better for satellite communication in space
The European Space Agency is moving to improve its communications system in space using lasers, which have the potential to transmit information more effectively.
- Europe wants to monitor natural disasters using an space data highway
The first part of the European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS), which will use laser-based communications technology to transmit data about natural disasters, is set to launch on board a Proton rocket Friday night from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
- US proposes ombudsman to allay concerns over data privacy
US and European regulators are rushing to meet a Feb. 2 deadline for renegotiating the transatlantic data pact struck down in October by a European high court. But key differences in how the two regions view privacy rights still remain.
- How Apple's 'thermonuclear war' on Google has changed since Alphabet
The search engine giant, which recently reorganized under the name Alphabet has seen its market value soar and invested in moonshot bets such as self-driving cars. Meanwhile, analysts have wondered about Apple's future, as smartphone sales slip and both companies vie to be No. 1 in schools.
- Facebook enables live-streaming video. Should Twitter and Youtube beware?
The social media giant now allows a user to stream live video on his or her friends and followers, an option that could add value to both the company and advertisers.
- Google aims to make smartphones that learn, understand the world around them
Google is partnering with Movidius, a smartphone chip designer, to put machine learning technology in mobile devices. This tech could eventually allow smartphones to understand images, speech, and written words – and to solve problems on their own.
- Battle over spying versus legitimate data transfer heats up in Congress
On Data Protection Day, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 19-1 in favor of the Judicial Redress Act, which would extend to European citizens the right to sue particular US government agencies if their electronic data is mishandled in a law enforcement investigation. The bill points to distinction between data rights in the US and Europe.