Industry push could see barcodes replaced by QR-style 2D codes within two years
The new codes would benefit retailers and consumers
Tech Culture
The technology revolution is everywhere and it's manifesting in more ways than we can imagine. The intersection of technology and society, from art to communication.
Ingenious DIY setup powers home for 8 years with over 1,000 repurposed laptop batteries
Repurposing e-waste on a sustainable power solution
USB-C is now effectively mandatory in Europe as the new charging era begins
The end of proprietary chargers?
2024's 10 top-grossing US films were all sequels and prequels
Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine dominate a slightly down year
TechSpot Rewind: The 25 most-read tech stories of 2024
Year in Review
Recap: The tech world is in constant flux, but some stories capture our collective imagination more than others. As we look back at 2024, this TechSpot Rewind countdown is more than just a list – it's a snapshot of the ideas, technologies, and controversies that shaped the year.
Nvidia believes the robotics market is about to explode, just like ChatGPT
The company is pivoting to powering humanoid robotics as AI chips experience stiffening competition
Russia admits its homegrown consoles can't match the PS5 or Xbox Series
Unsurprisingly
In brief: Russia's quest to develop homegrown consoles that are made by Russians and enjoyed by Russians doesn't seem to be having a lot of success. According to new reports, two machines are being created: one isn't very powerful, and the other is a $45 device that streams games from the cloud.
Hidden underground hydrogen reserves could power the entire Earth for centuries
There are practical limitations to harvesting this energy source however
The Lemontron is an "upside-down" portable 3D printer you can make yourself
An open-source 3D printer that fits in a filament box
Passports may soon become obsolete as facial recognition and smartphones take over
Concerns about privacy and security are already being raised
Project shows you can run a Minecraft server on the 60-year-old COBOL language
The number of COBOL programmers is dwindling, but new developers can still learn it
Outrage grows as people are not using headphones in airports and planes, annoying those around them
Facepalm: Many of us have been guilty of it – mindlessly streaming videos or taking calls sans headphones while waiting at an airport gate or on the plane itself. But that tendency is apparently driving fellow travelers crazy. Flight attendants are now even making pre-flight announcements pleading with passengers to use headphones, but the scourge of audio oversharing shows no signs of stopping.
Nearly 75% of RTO companies will require at least three days in the office per week by the end of 2025
Improved collaboration and teamwork are cited as the main reasons
Go-kart ditches expensive sensors for a single camera to achieve "autonomous" driving
Self-driving on a budget
Sam Altman's universal basic income experiment reveals benefits and limitations in addressing AI job losses
UBI isn't a silver bullet, according to a researcher
The British Army is trialing radio waves to zap drones out of the sky – at 13 cents per shot
The system disrupt drones from over a kilometer away, essentially shooting them down
EPA approves road construction project in Florida that will use radioactive byproduct
Environmental groups criticize EPA decision on pilot project
The quest to save the world's largest CRT TV from demolition
A 43-inch, 440lb titan that many believed was only a myth
WTF?! Most people consider CRTs obsolete – and for most purposes, they are – but retro gamers favor them because they offer a few advantages over modern panels. Although technical constraints limit the maximum size of CRT displays, Sony defied those boundaries in the late 1980s with a model so rare that it eventually passed into legend – until a YouTuber rescued what may be the last remaining unit days before its scheduled disposal.
Meet Transformers: The Google Breakthrough that Rewrote AI's Roadmap
For all the talk about AI these days, you may not know that it was a 2017 Google research paper that kickstarted modern generative AI by introducing the Transformer, a groundbreaking model that reshaped language processing.
Ventiva unveils fanless cooling solution for ultra-thin 40W laptops
Patented tech uses ionized air instead of fans
Engineers achieve quantum teleportation over active internet cables
"This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible"
Climate tech startup aims to store carbon in oceans and reshape the energy sector
Equatic will absorb CO2 and pump it into the ocean, while also producing hydrogen as fuel, or at least that's the plan
In a nutshell: A Los Angeles startup is making waves by claiming it can simultaneously address two major climate challenges: removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it in the ocean, while also producing emissions-free hydrogen fuel. The concept sounds promising, but not everyone is on board with it.
Prepare for liftoff with this programable calculator watch resembling Apollo 11's guidance computer
If it just wasn't so expensive
New York Jets owner blocked trade with the Broncos over a player's Madden rating
He also wanted to bench star QB Aaron Rodgers