technology

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We're Getting Nostalgic With Greeting Cards, Vinyl Records
A Lot of Us Are Going Analog
Jan 4, 2026 9:01 AM CST

A Lot of Us Are Going Analog

Vinyl records, handwritten greeting cards, and cars with stick shifts make analog comebacks in digital world

(Newser) - As technology distracts, polarizes, and automates, people are still finding refuge on analog islands in the digital sea. The holdouts span generations, uniting elderly and middle-aged enclaves born in pre-internet times with digital natives. The common thread? They're all setting down their devices to paint, color, knit, and play...

Malls in China Have a Unique Way to Deter Smoking

Opaque glass on bathroom stalls turns clear if smoke is detected

(Newser) - A pair of malls in southern China have come up with a novel way to curb bathroom smoking: Make the stall door see-through if someone lights up inside. Men's restrooms at Shenzhen's Shuibei International Centre and Shuibei Jinzuo Building now use special glass in cubicle doors that stays...

AI Startup Claims a Big Geothermal Find in Nevada
In Remote Nevada, a Sign the
Geothermal 'Tide Has Turned'
in case you missed it
Dec 7, 2025 2:40 PM CST

In Remote Nevada, a Sign the Geothermal 'Tide Has Turned'

AI-driven Zanskar claims artificial intelligence has identified a hidden geothermal hot spot

(Newser) - A geothermal startup says it's made what it believes is a major discovery in Nevada that could reshape the geothermal energy sector. Wired reports that Zanskar, a company that leverages artificial intelligence to pinpoint hidden geothermal resources deep below the Earth's surface, claims to have located a new...

In Japan, Expect Your Toilet to Make Some Noise

Devices that mask bathroom sounds are the newest trend in Japan's high-tech public restrooms

(Newser) - Japan's famously high-tech toilets are getting a new upgrade: sound-masking devices designed to cover up the less melodic realities of public restrooms. These gadgets, often called Otohime, or "Sound Princess," are now a staple in Japanese bathrooms, emitting everything from rushing water to birdsong with the push...

Feds Name Winner of Air Traffic Control Contract

Virginia firm Peraton to replace aging radar, copper wires

(Newser) - The Trump administration has awarded Peraton, a Virginia-based security and technology company, the prime contract to lead a sweeping overhaul of the nation's air traffic control system. The modernization effort, first championed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after a midair collision in Washington, DC, killed 64 people in January,...

OpenAI Bigwig Wants ChatGPT to Be Unavoidable

Fidji Simo, firm's chief of applications, aims to close the gap between AI potential, real-world use

(Newser) - OpenAI's new applications chief, Fidji Simo, is on a mission to turn ChatGPT into an indispensable tool—one that users will eventually be willing to pay for. Simo, who joined the company in August after stints running Instacart and Facebook's main app, oversees the business side of OpenAI,...

Seniors Who Love Their Tech Tend to Have Less Dementia

Research suggests regular use is associated with a lower risk

(Newser) - New research suggests that older adults who regularly use digital technology—think smartphones, computers, and the internet—have a lower risk of cognitive decline. A meta-analysis of 57 studies published in Nature Human Behaviour found that people over 50 who engaged with everyday digital technology had a 58% lower risk...

Amazon Prime Video Launches AI Video Recaps

Company says AI tools will determine what viewers should know to get caught up

(Newser) - Can't quite remember the season you binged last fall? AI to the rescue. Amazon Prime Video is going live with Video Recaps, a feature that uses artificial intelligence to generate detailed video recaps of TV show seasons, designed to refresh viewers on key storylines before they start a new...

Jeff Bezos Is a CEO Again
Jeff Bezos Is a CEO Again
Nov 17, 2025 8:21 AM CST

Jeff Bezos Is a CEO Again

Billionaire will be co-CEO at new AI startup Project Prometheus

(Newser) - Jeff Bezos has attached himself to a new artificial intelligence startup where he'll serve as co-chief executive—his first formal operational role since stepping down as Amazon CEO in 2021. The company, Project Prometheus, has a staggering $6.2 billion in funding, some of it from Bezos himself, making...

Some of the First Humans Used Tools Continuously
Some of the First Humans
Used Tools Continuously
NEW STUDY
Nov 4, 2025 10:45 AM CST

Some of the First Humans Used Tools Continuously

Findings in Kenya challenge idea that only later humans had the brains for the job

(Newser) - A newly uncovered trove of ancient stone tools in northwest Kenya suggests early humans didn't use them sporadically but routinely over hundreds of thousands of years, at the very emergence of humanity. Archaeologists at the Namorotukunan site in the Turkana Basin uncovered 1,300 stone flakes, hammerstones, and cores...

Nike Debuts an 'E-Bike' for Your Feet

The wearable device aims to assist casual runners and walkers

(Newser) - If you've ever wished your morning jog came with pedal assist, Nike's one step ahead of you. The company recently unveiled plans for Project Amplify, a wearable device it calls "powered footwear." Or, in simpler terms, it's like an e-bike for your feet, reports the...

After Grandma's Fall, Teen Creates a Winning Solution
After Grandma's Fall, Teen
Creates a Winning Solution
in case you missed it
Nov 1, 2025 3:11 PM CDT

After Grandma's Fall, Teen Creates a Winning Solution

FallGuard camera system detects falls, sends alerts without any wearable tech

(Newser) - A California eighth-grader just took home the title "America's Top Young Scientist"—and a $25,000 prize—for inventing a new kind of fall-detection device inspired by his grandmother's accident. Thirteen-year-old Kevin Tang developed FallGuard, a camera-based monitoring system that uses an algorithm he programmed himself...

When Halloween Decorations Start Scaring the Neighbors

Some families are now avoiding the most gruesome displays as they get creepier, gorier

(Newser) - As Halloween spending soars, so, too, does the gore factor in America's front yards. What was once a holiday dominated by pumpkins and friendly ghosts has, according to the New York Times , escalated into a full-blown fright fest—complete with dismembered limbs and blood-spattered zombies. Now, some parents are...

ChatGPT Is Wrecking Real-Life Marriages

Couples use AI to argue, vent, and even divorce

(Newser) - Instead of going to couples therapy, why not just vent to AI instead? Futurism reports that ChatGPT is finding its way into marriages and divorces, with disgruntled spouses using the AI to write breakup messages, justify arguments, and even replace their partners in late-night conversations. For some, what began as...

Can't Remember to Water Your Plants? There's an App for That

Gardening and plant care go high tech, with some innovations backed by artificial intelligence, apps

(Newser) - Looking to go high-tech in your gardening endeavors? Tools are evolving to incorporate technology—including artificial intelligence—to help us keep plants healthier, avoid unpleasant tasks, and even grow crops indoors over the winter. Here, a quick look at some of these gardening innovations from the AP :
  • Mowing: If you
...

Ratings for These 'Smart' Toilets Are 'Through the Roof'

Tech-driven restrooms offer privacy, accountability, rapid deployment for cities

(Newser) - America's public restroom shortage is so dire the country now ranks 30th globally, sharing the spot with Botswana. Building more traditional bathrooms isn't the simple answer, though, as upkeep and misuse quickly turn new facilities into cautionary tales. Enter "smart" restrooms, an experiment led by the...

Another Big TSA Change Could Be Coming

Noem says bigger liquid containers may soon be allowed in carry-on baggage

(Newser) - Travelers weary of the familiar liquid restrictions at airport security may soon get some relief. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted Wednesday at possible changes to the size of liquid containers allowed in carry-on bags for flights within the US. Speaking at the Hill Nation Summit, Noem said that...

Something's Missing at Wimbledon
Something's
Missing at
Wimbledon
Jul 1, 2025 12:23 PM CDT

Something's Missing at Wimbledon

Transition from line judges not quite as seamless as All England Club might've hoped

(Newser) - Protests at this year's steamy Wimbledon have failed to stop the transition from 300 line judges to AI-driven electronic line-calling, and players seem to have accepted the change, previously announced by the All England Club, with only minor grumblings. With artificial intelligence now analyzing footage from up to 18...

China Tightens Grip on Its Rare-Earth Secrets

Beijing reportedly looks to track experts to prevent overseas tech leaks

(Newser) - China is stepping up efforts to guard its rare-earth industry secrets. The Wall Street Journal's sources say the government has ordered domestic rare-earth companies to submit lists of employees who possess technical expertise, including details about their education and research background, along with their personal information. The move,...

Silicon Valley's Anti-'Woke' Drive Isn't an 'Anomaly'

Guardian columnist Becca Lewis writes that hints of 'technofascism' stretch back decades

(Newser) - Anyone who's just now picking up on a real right-wing vibe from today's Silicon Valley set probably hasn't been paying too close attention to the tech bros over the past few decades—because hints of "technofascism" have been popping up in that demographic for years. So...

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