Adidas' New Bioengineered Sneaker Made of Synthetic Spider Silk
[Product]
2016/11/21 17:14
Synthetic spider silk is one of the most exciting new textiles in development.The attraction is obvious: Natural spider silk itself is light, elastic, and incredibly strong. AMSilk, a German manufacturer of a synthetic silk called Biosteel, estimates a web made of “pencil-thick spider silk fiber can catch a fully loaded Jumbo Jet Boeing 747 with a weight of 380 tons.”Synthetic versions are ge...
(Video) Cogito Raises $15M to Help Call Center Staff Detect Customers’ Mood from Their Voice
[Investing]
2016/11/21 10:52
Artificial intelligence company Cogito raised $15 million in its latest funding round, the company told VentureBeat today.Cogito combines behavioral science and artificial intelligence to detect a person’s emotional state and determine if their mood has changed and how conversations are going — all in real time.With the use of Cogito, customer satisfaction at some companies grew by more than...
(Video) Pocket-sized Drone Slides Right Into a Smartphone Case - AirSelfie
[Product]
2016/11/21 10:52
The AirSelfie is the latest flying camera to zoom into the arena, and may just be the least cumbersome one we've seen, with the ability to slide away into the user's smartphone case when not in use.When all you really need is a decent enough camera to hang in the air for a few moments and capture a memory or two, the necessary hardware can be packed into some pretty small packages. A number of...
The Future Of A.I.
[Business]
2016/11/21 10:52
While something along these lines may well come to fruition at some point, the most lucrative use cases of A.I. until 2025 are forecast by market intelligence firm Tractica to be a little less fantastical. When many people think of the future of artificial intelligence, they imagine some form of robot, diligently serving them and completing the mundane tasks of everyday life, perhaps stopping o...
(Video) Car Designers Take Cues from Sci-Fi Flicks
[Tech]
2016/11/21 10:52
Film special-effects are giving auto makers new concepts for driver-car interactions.[Auto makers, such as Fiat Chrysler, are taking inspiration from the futuristic computer displays seen in movies to improve the user interface of their vehicles. Image: Perception]After Marvel’s superhero flick “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” came out in 2014, designers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV...
The Gravity-Defying Dishwasher
[Design]
2016/11/21 10:52
Here’s some food for thought. The top-load washing machine came long before the front-load washing machine. It was effective, easy, and people still use it today. Why has the dishwasher not seen that evolution? Dishwashers are all front-loaded, which seems natural, but means the door needs to be absolutely water-tight and as a designer, that doesn’t come cheap. It also means you need a consid...
(Infographic) The Evolution of Instant Messaging
[Business]
2016/11/20 11:10
The concept of instant messaging crossed into the mainstream in the 1990s, allowing friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and like-minded thinkers from all over the world to connect in real-time.Since then, instant messaging has revolutionized how we communicate, and today over 2.5 billion people are signed up for at least one messaging app. The present IM experience is seamless, and it intuitive...
(Video) Samsonite Free Luggage Wrapping Service - "I Wish I Had A Samsonite"
[Business]
2016/11/20 11:09
A luggage brand solves a problem for non-customers on the condition they become walking billboards.Samsonite wanted to communicate that its luggage was tougher than competitors’ without resorting to clichéd torture tests.The answer, provided by Publicis Conseil, Paris, was to offer free luggage wrapping to anyone with an inferior suitcase.Samsonite opened its Samsowrap stall in Palma airport...
Holiday Shopping Kicks Off with Anticipated Big Spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
[Consumer]
2016/11/20 11:08
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. With 39% of consumers stating the holiday season starts on Thanksgiving, many are also planning to head to the stores to stock up on gifts for their loved ones in the days after their turkey dinner. Traditionally, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the busiest shopping days in the U.S., when consumers expect long lines and even bigger savings at th...
(Video) Intel's Shooting Star Drones Bring Flying Christmas Lights to Disney World
[Tech]
2016/11/20 11:07
The drones will take flight in a choreographed performance and form holiday-themed animations.After last week revealing its Shooting Star drone in record-breaking choreographed flight, Intel is wasting little time in getting the aircraft out in front of the public eye. Attendees of Florida's Walt Disney World Resort this coming holiday season will be treated to a different kind of light show, w...
Carnival Is Using Facial Recognition on Cruises to Help Passengers Buy Photos of Themselves
[Product]
2016/11/20 11:06
The next time you take a Carnival cruise, don't be surprised if the brand digitally tags you in photos taken aboard the ship.The Carnival Vista just finished making its first transatlantic trip and is docked in New York this week to show off what Carnival Cruise Line claims is its largest and most souped-up ship to date. Among the ship's high-tech amenities is a digital photo experience built b...
Anti-Ageing Pill? Breakthrough as Scientists Discover How to Slow Down the Ageing Process
[Tech]
2016/11/20 11:05
Two biochemists have discovered a link between a protein called carbonic anhydrase and aging in the brains and muscle cells of mice. While still in the early stages of development, their research could lead to treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.In addition to being the “powerhouse of the cell,” the mitochondria could also be home to a certain protein that’s in char...