A new project to hunt down evidence of alien life in the universe has been announced, with the Galileo Project seeing Harvard lead a group of scientists determined to figure out whether or not we're alone in space. Combining ground telescopes, AI, and more, the research will focus on physical examples of alien intelligence, rather than electromagnetic signals from distant civilizations.
Samsung's The Wall may be impressive in a "huge TV" way, but the display-maker is taking things to a whole new level by using a vast, seamless screen as the backdrop to a new TV and movie studio. The Wall relies on modular Micro LED panels, which can be slotted together to make much bigger screens, or - as in the new CJ ENM virtual studio - an impressively curved one.
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Amazon is working on accepting Bitcoin payments and could even create its own token, according to a new leak, though it's unclear just how eager the world's biggest retailer is to wade into the volatile world of crypto. Though it may have cornered the market in online sales, Amazon's taste for currency currently skews old-school.
Apple's Face ID may have been logging us into iPhone and iPad for several years now, but the facial recognition tech looks set to finally be coming to Mac too. While recent Mac models have been able to unlock either with a nearby Apple Watch or using a Touch ID sensor, an equivalent to Microsoft's Windows Hello is predicted to be in the pipeline.
Predicting the future is tough. It's easy to get caught up in new technology, particularly when it promises to address a common pain point, but sometimes the reality isn't quite so appealing. That's just what happened with a new concept car safety tech feature I tried all the way back in 2014, and which is now increasingly commonplace on production vehicles.
Rivian has closed another funding round, with the electric vehicle company adding a further $2.5 billion to its coffers as it readies its first EV pickup. The new round - which brings Rivian's total raise to roughly $10.5 billion so far - saw Amazon, Ford, and others increase their stake in the automaker, along with some new names.
Of all the changes Tesla has brought over the past few years, the switch to the yoke steering wheel may prove be the most controversial. Elon Musk, though, is unrepentant about the unusual controls found in the latest Model S and Model X, and that means if you were hoping for an option to swap in a "normal" steering wheel, you're out of luck.
Staring at the Sun is ill-advised if you want to keep your eyesight, but NASA's solar telescopes have some sneaky ways to avoid burn-out as the space agency gleans vital information about our closest star. The Solar Dynamics Observatory has been working for more than a decade, unlocking unprecedented details about the ferocious forces boiling away in the Sun, but new AI tech is making sure its solar eyesight is 20/20.
Apple is reportedly working on a new external display equipped with both a dedicated iPhone chip and a Neural Engine, potentially giving the Pro Display XDR a high-end replacement. Currently the company has just one official external display in its line-up, the 6K-capable Pro Display XDR with a $5k starting price.
Audi teased us with the idea of a beastly electric Dakar Rally car last year, and now that Audi RS Q e-tron has been revealed. Set to race in January 2022, the tri-motor hybrid is like nothing else in Audi's line-up. While it's built specifically for the unique challenges of the desert, however, that won't stop us from hoping key elements get cherry-picked for future production models.
How high do you need to fly in order to officially qualify as an astronaut? That's an answer the US FAA has just weighed in on and, while the definition of where space begins may still be controversial, what it takes to get the coveted Astronaut Wings is now tougher - and could have big implications for billionaire space-fans like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.
Framework's user-upgradable laptop has begin shipping, with the modular notebook headed out to preorder customers right as the FTC lends its weight to the Right to Repair. Announced back in February, the Framework Laptop may look much like any other notebook at first glance, but distinguishes itself by positively encouraging people to open it up and switch out the parts.