Phone app that listens to your car, could warn of impending trouble

MIT researchers are working on an app that uses a smartphone’s microphone and accelerometers to diagnose impending maintenance problems. As cars get smarter, more and more of them are going to give their owners preventative maintenance alerts. It’s one of the benefits to consumers regularly touted by advocates of the connected car, and even some […]

Britain launches technology fund to detect explosives in airports

Britain launched a fund Friday to support new technology in screening hand-luggage at the airports in a bid to detect concealed explosives without passengers having to remove electrical items from their bags. The Department for Transport said three million pounds (3.9 million dollars) would be made available to support innovation in the detection of hidden […]

Facial recognition debuts at China’s banks

Cards are no longer needed to withdraw money from the Agricultural Bank of China’s (ABC) three outlets in Jinan City,  as a quick scan of the face makes the transaction easy. “One of the best things about facial recognition technology is that you don’t have to carry your cards with you for petty deposits and […]

Amazon working on smart glasses

Amazon.com Inc. is working on its first wearable device, a pair of ‘smart glasses’, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. The device, designed like a regular pair of spectacles, will allow Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa to be summoned anytime at all places, the report said, citing plan’s familiar sources. There would be a bone-conduction audio system […]

Facebook to open new AI lab in Montreal

Facebook Inc. is opening its first artificial intelligence research lab in Canada and has chosen Montreal to house the project. This is Facebook’s first research and development investment in Canada and its fourth AI research lab. The company was attracted to Montreal because of the students and professors in surrounding universities, the strong startup culture […]

Mercedes-Benz to offer electric option for every car by 2022

Daimler’s Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche on Monday said Mercedes-Benz will offer electric versions of all its models by 2022, converting its Smart city car brand to become fully electric. Speaking at the company’s investor day in Sindelfingen, Germany, Daimler said it will offer at least 50 electrified versions of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in hybrid and […]

Ericsson unveils small cell solutions

Ericsson has unveiled three new small cell solutions that it says will help prepare networks for the launch of 5G as well as Internet of Things (IoT) uptake by extending coverage and capacity using LTE/5G tight interworking. The networking giant labelled its new small cell solutions, which will be commercially available in 2018, the Multi-Operator […]

Sonos looks ready to launch Amazon Alexa-controlled smart speaker

A recent filing with the FCC suggests Sonos is preparing to launch a new speaker with voice controls. It’s possible the speaker could compete with products such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home and the upcoming Apple HomePod, though early rumors have suggested that the new Sonos will pack Amazon’s Alexa assistant. That would allow […]