Researchers eavesdrop on conversations remotely using lightbulbs
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Privacy is a myth for most of us, and in the world of espionage and hacker collectives there are a myriad of new tools coming through to spy on people in new ways. Interested in the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
Next generation solar cells harvest indoor lighting to power all your gadgets
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We’re all trying to help save the planet, but all our gadgets and children’s toys are addicted to batteries, these new solar cells are here to change that. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. We hear a lot...
MIT invents a cryptographic “Tag of Everything” to defeat counterfeiters
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As it gets easier to produce products of every kind, from parts for nuclear submarines to medicines, we need a way to guarantee the authenticity of our products. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Recently a team in...
3D printed bunny contains instructions to make a copy of intself
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As we manufacture products in new ways we can use those same manufacturing technologies to embed information about them for a variety of purposes. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Now that we can 3D print objects researchers...
Researchers tap transistors unique quantum fingerprints to ID systems and stop cyber criminals
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As the rise in the number of connected devices and systems is out paced only by the rise in #cyber attacks, researchers have found a new way to identify individual systems at the quantum level. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch...
World’s first batteryless bluetooth sensor harvests energy from the air
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF IOT devices will be crippled if they all need batteries to run, but by harvesting energy from the air we can place sensors anywhere and everywhere. Interested in the future and want to experience even more?! eXplore More. Semiconductor firm Wiliot has demonstrated the first ever...
New “unclonable computer chip” stops botnets in their tracks
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As the number of connected devices increases we need new ways to prevent them from being hijacked by cyber criminals. Interested in the future and want to experience even more?! eXplore More. While we embrace the way the Internet of Things (IoT) already is making...
Game changing “Unhackable” MORPHEUS computer chip re-configures itself every 50 milliseconds
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to create an unhackable computer sounds like science fiction, but that doesn’t stop researchers from giving it a go. “Unhackable” is a strong word. And so far many of the technologies that people have described as being unhackable, even awesome science fiction...
AI and automation: The benefits for business and industry
On 4 August 1997, Skynet, a US military developed program, became self-aware and began to think for itself. Operators tried to deactivate the computer system but the now ‘intelligent’ system perceived this as a threat and in order to protect its mandate of ‘safeguarding the world’ Skynet launched a nuclear...
MIT researchers have turned WiFi signals into electricity
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Wireless charging is becoming more popular, which is why we’re seeing breakthrough after breakthrough in the space, and new innovations. Noone likes having to shove a battery into things or plug everything they own into an electrical plug socket, whether it’s your phone, your...
Paper based bio-battery uses bacteria to power the internet of things
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The Internet of Things relies of billions of sensors to work, but only a handful of these sensors can be powered with traditional batteries, so new alternatives are needed. In remote parts of the world, access to batteries for diagnostic devices, medical equipment and...
Dutch firm unveils the world’s first autonomous self-balancing energy grid for EV’s
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF New powerful technologies are letting us revolutionise how we generate and deliver electricity, and autonomous, self-balancing energy grids are now a thing. A little while ago I wrote about the US Department of Energy’s plans to create the world’s first autonomous energy grid, but...
US military genetics program to turn marine life into giant living sensor networks
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As we learn more about the genetic code and how to modify it organisations around the world are starting to look into new ways of turning nature to their advantage. A few months ago I wrote about how DARPA, the bleeding edge research arm...
Hypersurfaces uses AI to turn everything into a computer interface
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today’s computer interfaces are still limiting, even with the advent of voice and touch, so Hypersurfaces is setting them free. In the future one thing is certain, as technology proliferates around us the keyboard and mouse will slowly die out and we will all...
IBM breakthrough uses AI to make blockchain more energy efficient
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Mining blockchain uses up an extraordinary amount of electricity, equivalent to an entire country, so companies are trying to fix the issue. Proof of Work (PoW), the common consensus mechanism that secures Bitcoin and numerous other cryptocurrency blockchains, has given the technology a reputation for...
Drexel’s new spray on antennas can connect everything to the internet
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Tomorrow’s world will be increasingly connected, and connecting old legacy devices and things has been difficult, but it’s about to get much easier. Engineers are good at making minuscule antennas. Nowadays, we can cram antennas into our smartphones or smartwatches without much trouble. But...
The world’s smallest computer makes a grain of rice look massive
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As computing and AI processing gets moved to the edge of the network and into billions of IOT devices computers will have to get ever smaller. Researchers at the University of Michigan have created the world’s smallest computer, again, after their previous micro-computers, called...
Revolutionary Nano-antenna is hundreds times smaller than today’s state of the art
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF It’s not just our devices that are getting smaller and more powerful, the components that make our devices are also going through their own revolutions. Recently I discussed how a new Metalense breakthrough from Harvard University will help us realise atomic sized camera lenses,...
Tomorrow’s computer chips will have new challenges and new architectures
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Standardised processors that run multiple workloads, but that have to be especially optimised to run specific workloads made sense, but tomorrow’s processors will have new challenges and need a new architectural approach. It’s over 10 years since Apple unveiled the first iPhone and since...
Scientists create edible electronics using Graphene to improve food safety
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to quickly and easily tag foods and other products with sensors and other electronics that can be safely eaten could improve food safety and security. James Tour believes anything can be turned into the wonder material, Graphene, a material so versatile it...
