The Top Technology Trends Dominating 2016

 With the year almost running by, lets take a look at the technology trends dominating in 2016.


1. Live streaming

 Live streaming technology, particularly via Twitch, Facebook Live, Periscope, and other similar apps, is developing at a faster rate thanks to a combination of factors that is making live streaming more popular amongst users; some of these factors include the practicality of mobile devices, better Internet connections, and a greater expectation to be “in the moment” in a social media context. As a result, live streaming technologies are coming to a more diverse range of platforms—including social media platforms—and are becoming more efficient, with fewer interruptions and greater accessibility.

2. Virtual and augmented reality

 It was supposed to be a big year for virtual reality (VR) with the emergence of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. To date, it’s seen modest popularity, but nothing that’s revolutionized the way we experience the world. On the other hand, augmented reality apps are starting to see breakout popularity (and Pokémon Go is the major notable example here), bringing millions of users together for a shared physical/digital hybrid experience. VR technology is still new, and there’s always a learning curve, but I believe we’re witnessing our first baby steps into an era with a much blurrier line between the physical and digital realms.

3. Automation, machine learning, and AI

People have been anticipating the onset of artificial intelligence (AI) for decades, and though it’s been around in various forms for the past several years (and even beyond that), we’re now bearing witness to the advanced learning systems that may soon come to define our interactions with technology. Digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, which were mocked just a few years ago, now have a stunning ability to recognize and decipher human speech, and Google updates like RankBrain are now able to update themselves, learning from complex user inputs and making automated adjustments.

4. The Internet-of-Things (IoT)

The Internet-of-Things is a phenomenon driven by the fact that so many everyday items—such as refrigerators and televisions—are now becoming capable of accessing the Internet, or even enjoying “smart” technology. Theoretically, groups of these appliances and devices could be linked together on a single network, resulting in a “smart home” that can be controlled independently by a single user on a single system. This technology could soon revolutionize the way we engage with our environments and interact with each other.

5. Big data and visualization

To be fair, it’s been a few years since “big data” started becoming popular as a buzzword, so it can’t be counted as a trend exclusively in 2016. For the past few years, businesses have been upgrading their systems and investing more to collect greater quantities and quality of data on their customers. This data is useful—but only if it’s interpreted correctly, and only if those gathering it are asking the right questions. Enter the era of data visualization, where advanced software programs and analytics platforms are able to automatically gather and project big data in meaningful ways, helping users form accurate, actionable conclusions.

6. App streaming

App streaming is one of the most interesting developments in the field of online search and mobile user experiences. Google has been pushing the visibility and functionality of apps in its search engine for the past few years, but its recent push to “streaming” apps in search results for users is an insightful indication of where things might develop from here. App streaming allows users to access content to apps they haven’t even downloaded yet, opening a potential door to the eventuality of apps replacing traditional websites as the central medium to gather new information.

7. Better in-app experiences

The dominant apps of our era—like Google and Facebook—are fighting hard to keep their apps in the top ranks, and keep users in those applications for as long as possible. Social media apps are starting to venture into new territory, with better, more diverse messaging experiences, and new functionality that overrides the necessity to leave the app and pursue functionality elsewhere. Most users are finding these in-app provisions helpful, and they’re only going to grow more sophisticated from here.

With these seven trends already in place and shaping the world around us, I can only imagine what wonders are down the pipeline. Of course, some technological trends are bound to fizzle while others continue for many years—but since it’s so hard to focus on the distant future, the short-term future is your best bet for setting goal.

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These high-tech shirts change their pattern and color in response to pollution or radiation

Nikolas Bentel’s nifty new line of clothing, called Aerochromics are high-tech shirts that change their pattern and color in response to pollution or radiation .

Bentel has created three different shirts: each of which change in some unique way when they come into contact with different environmental factors.

“I wanted to create something that not only starts a conversation about pollution but also actively participates in the discussion,” Bentel told Digital Trends.

High-tech shirts change their pattern and color in response to pollution or radiation

The first shirt works in a way that is very similar to an everyday carbon monoxide spot detector, which turns black when carbon monoxide is present and clear when it is not.

“When carbon monoxide ends up touching the clothing, it’s oxidized by chemical salts,” Bentel says.

“This process is what changes the colors. The dye also contains chemical salts made from transition metals. Once the carbon monoxide is removed, these metal salts steal some oxygen from the air and [that] changes the catalyst back to its original chemical form — so the detector spot changes back to its original color. Essentially, the catalyst regenerates in the air.”

The second shirt boasts two small sensors, one on the front and one on the back. When the shirt is introduced into an area with particle pollution like dust or smoke, the sensors trip and alert the small micro-controller embedded in the shirt collar.

“Each dot is connected to a circular heat pad that the microcontroller activates when pollution is detected,” Bentel explains. “Each patch has a thermo-chromic dye which changes colors when the patch heats up. Each patch then has a layer of insulation which blocks the dots from outside temperatures, which also retains the heat in the dot.”

The third and final shirt is designed to react to radioactivity. “The dye on the shirt is a nontoxic, chemical process indicator dye that changes color depending upon exposure to gamma or electron beam radiation,”

Bentel says. “At greater dosage levels, the radiation indicators exhibit an increased color. Once you have been exposed to a sizable amount of radiation the shirt will not change back. This technology is very similar to radiation indicator dots.”

Bentel’s shirts aren’t cheap: costing $500 each for the first two and $650 for the radiation shirt. However, they’re definitely pretty innovative and make for a bold fashion statement.

Source: Digital Trends

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This revolutionary new battery runs on gravity

It's the same old story: batteries are holding us back. Technology is advancing so quickly across so many industries, but the next-generation batteries needed to power all of these advancements more efficiently are nowhere to be found. Researchers are hard at work on improving existing battery tech though, and they're also developing exciting new kinds of batteries that could someday proliferate. Now, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology think they may be on an exciting path toward building a new type of liquid battery that uses gravity to generate energy.

The brilliant concept for the researchers' new battery design was described in a paper published recently in the journal Energy and Environmental Science. Titled "A low-dissipation, pumpless, gravity-induced flow battery," the paper covers a new liquid flow battery that uses gravity to generate energy.

Liquid flow batteries are not a new concept. In fact, the earliest liquid flow battery designs date back to the 1970s. The basic idea is that the positive and negative electrodes exist in liquid form and are separated by a membrane. Particles traveling from one terminal to the other in a liquid slurry generate electricity. But all earlier liquid flow battery designs have something in common: They rely on complex and expensive systems of tanks, pumps and valves to move the chemical compounds contained within the system.

The new design — developed by MIT researchers Xinwei Chen, Brandon J. Hopkins, Ahmed Helal, Frank Y. Fan, Kyle C. Smith, Zheng Li, Alexander H. Slocum, Gareth H. McKinley, W. Craig Cartera and Yet-Ming Chiang — completely eliminates the need for complicated pump systems. Instead, it uses a simple gravity feed to move the slurry down a narrow channel and generate energy. What's more, the rate of energy produced by this new type of liquid flow battery can be increased or decreased simply by adjusting the angle of the battery, which will either speed or slow the flow rate.

And now, the unavoidable bad news — the prototype built by the MIT team is just a proof-of-concept and the researchers are nowhere near commercializing it at this point. Kyocera Professor of Ceramics Yet-Ming Chiang, the lead author on the paper, likens the team's current creation to a concept car. Chiang is confident that the design will ultimately lead to a real product though, and it could have applications across a number of industries.

"The new design should make possible simpler and more compact battery systems, which could be inexpensive and modular, allowing for gradual expansion of grid-connected storage systems to meet growing demand," Nanowerk News noted. "Such storage systems will be critical for scaling up the use of intermittent power sources such as wind and solar."



Source: BGR

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Chris Evans steps down from BBC show "Top Gear"

After a single season at the helm, Chris Evans is stepping down from Top Gear. The presenter, which took over from Jeremy Clarkson and his fellow partners in crime, James May and Richard Hammond, said on Twitter: "(I) gave it my best show but sometimes that's not enough.

Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough. The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best.

— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) July 4, 2016

The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best." The latest series of Top Gear, which wrapped up last night in the UK, has been battered by low audience figures and scathing reviews, both from critics and fans.

Replicating the success of the Clarkson era was always going to be difficult, however, when so much of the show's appeal was attributed to the old presenters.

Still, the BBC has been trying its best. Top Gear is one of its most popular and lucrative shows, with a huge following both domestically and overseas.

Simply cancelling the programme was never an option. The team had hoped that Chris Evans' energy would fill some of the void left behind by his predecessors; as a fail-safe, it brought in Friends actor Matt LeBlanc to give the show some much-needed star power.

Then, in a deviation from previous seasons, the BBC hired a large cast of supporting presenters: motorsport pundit Eddie Jordan, professional racing driver Sabine Schmitz, and two younger faces, Chris Harris and Rory Reid, who also present the Top Gear spin-off show Extra Gear on BBC iPlayer.

Some of these presenters have worked better than others. Another problem is, arguably, the format of the show -- it's almost unchanged from the Clarkson years, focusing on short documentaries and celebrity laps.

They're shot and scripted in a similar fashion to previous seasons, which, while visually impressive, often feel like hollow imitations.

"I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last 12 months," Evans said in a statement. "I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause."

The BBC is left with a huge role to fill for the next season. In the meantime, Clarkson and co are gearing up to launch their new show, The Grand Tour, on Amazon Prime Video.

The exact premiere date is unknown, but it's due to kick off this fall -- fans of the troublesome trio will be hoping their attempt is better than what the BBC has shown over the last six weeks.


Source : BBc
Via : Engadget
 

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China has finished the installation of the world's largest radio telescope

China has finished the installation of the world's largest radio telescope in Pingtang County, southwest of China’s Guizhou Province.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, took roughly five years to complete and cost $180m; initial plans and location reconnaissance began way back in 1994. Its massive reflector, comprised of 4,450 panels covers the same area as 30 football fields.

It will become operational in September and will be used to search for extraterrestrial life, but don’t expect to hear about FAST aiding in major discoveries right away. Over the next two to three years, the telescope will be subject to adjustments and used for early-stage research by scientists in China. It will then become available to researchers across the globe to use.

According to Xinhua News, FAST will aid in detecting pulsars, gravitational waves and eventually amino acids, which would confirm life on other planets.

The telescope is much bigger than the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, which was previously regarded as the world’s largest at around 300m in diameter.

In order to ensure total radio silence within a five-kilometer radius around FAST, more than 9,000 people will be moved out of the area surrounding the telescope and resettled in neighboring counties by September.


Source: Xinhua
Via: The Next Web

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China has successfully refuels a satellite in orbit

China is now one of the precious few countries that knows how to refuel satellites in space. The nation's Tianyuan-1 system (launched aboard the Long March 7) has successfully topped up at least one satellite in orbit. Officials aren't describing the process beyond likening it to that for airplanes, but the result is clear: the refueling should help satellites stay in orbit for longer, or make adjustments that would otherwise be impractical.

Refuelling systems could become a non-event in a few years thanks to robotic spacecraft. However, there's a strong incentive to get this technology into space as quickly as possible. If you can keep a satellite in orbit for even a year or two longer, you can save massive amounts of money by reducing the number of vehicles you need to deploy.

The move could also help with the fight against space junk by slowing the proliferation of dead or useless satellites. The ultimate goal is to completely avoid fuel in the first place, but efforts like China's represent an important first step.



Source: People's Daily, QQ (translated)
Via: Engadget

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72 new emoji coming soon in Unicode 9

 

Brace yourselves, heavy texters, there's new emoji on the way! The Unicode Consortium, which oversees the official library of emoji in use, has revealed the 72 new characters that will make up this year's addition. Most of the new designs fit into the categories we're all familiar with, such as food, smileys, people, and animals, but there are quite a few that are direct reflections of actions and responses that have only developed in the last few years among mobile users. Namely, the selfie and the shrug gesture.


Now, we before we get to excited, it's important to remember that these new emoji have only been confirmed to be added to the Unicode 9 language, which will be released on June 21st. That doesn't mean that these characters will automatically be added to your iPhone or Android device. It's up to Apple and Google to update their OSes to include these emoji.

With that said, let's move on to the fun stuff. The smileys and people categories are see 22 new emoji added, including the face-palm, a face with a cowboy hat, a green nauseated face, a face blowing its nose, along with the previously mentioned selfie arm and shrug gesture, which are sure to be hits.

There's also plenty of new animals, such as a duck, shark, fox head, gorilla, deer, a very Batman symbol-like bat, and my personal favorite, an owl. On the food side of things there's a potato, croissant, avocado, pancakes, a single egg, and another sure-fire winner, bacon!

Lastly, in the objects and sports categories, users will soon find emoji like a spoon, shopping cart, drum, canoe, 1st/2nd/3rd place medals, a boxing glove, martial arts uniform, wrestlers, and fencing.
The mock-ups seen here come courtesy of Emojipedia and are specifically done in the Apple-style, so there's a chance some of the characters might look slightly different, especially on Android.

Oh, and there's one other new emoji in the people category I forgot to mention, however it may have some users wishing they could delete it from their keyboards: the clown.




Source: Unicode, Emojipedia
Via : Slash Gear

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